Shadows of Progressby SilvermyrChaptersChapter oneChapter twoChapter threeChapter fourChapter fiveChapter oneChapter one Rarity was trotting down Mane Street of Ponyville, humming a happy tune for herself. The sun beat down on the buildings. Normally, it would be too hot for comfort, but, thankfully, a refreshing breeze blew through Ponyville, creating just the right temperature. Rarity and Sweetie Belle were going to buy some groceries down at the square surrounding the town hall, and get some pastries from Sugarcube Corner. Rarity smiled inwardly as she thought of how happy her sister would be as she tried to choose between the strawberry cupcakes and the banana eclair. The two Unicorns trotted past Town Hall, and went to study the various stalls offering freshly picked vegetables and fruit. ”Rarity, can we buy cherries too?” Sweetie Belle asked with a hopeful tone. Rarity thought for a second. Cherries were one of the more expensive commodities Ponyville market had to offer, but both Rarity and her sister had always loved them. Sweetie Belle used her puppy eyes, and Rarity resigned with a smile. ”Of course we can,” She said. ”Why wont you go over there and pick out the best ones? I will be right with you.” ”Okay!” Sweetie Belle skipped away towards the inviting stall. Rarity saw a cream colored Earth Pony with cherry red hair greet her sister. ”Alright, about those radishes…” Rarity said to herself as she went over to the other end of the market. Rarity collected a great variety of groceries, and the cherries, and started to walk home again, her sister in tow. As she did, she passed just outside the entrance to Town Hall. She heard the two doors open, and two sets of hooves step out. ”I hope, for all our sakes, that what you say is true,” Mayor Mare’s stern voice came from the door. ”Don’t you worry, esteemed mayor,” came a peppy voice, filled of confidence and swagger. Rarity felt that she had heard it before, but could not place it. She looked away decisively. She would not snoop in anypony else’s business. ”My brother and I really have turned over a new leaf, mayor. Just you wait and see, we will bring riches to this community yet, you have our word on that,” said a nearly identical, but slightly more mature voice. ”Well, we shall see,” Mayor Mare said. ”I will keep an eye on you two… but if what you say is true, then I wish you good luck.” Rarity heard the doors close as she trotted away. She scolded herself. ”You really shouldn’t be eavesdropping Rarity,” she thought to herself. ”You have nothing to do with whoever it was.” ”Rarity,” Sweetie Belle peeped beside her, tugging at her saddlebags to get her attention, ”Rarity, shouldn’t we be going home? This is the wrong way.” ”Not at all dear, we are going in just the right direction,” Rarity said with a secretive smile. Sweetie Belle recognized that smile, it always meant good news. Literarily good, as in good tasting, news. She perked up as she put two and two together. He smile practically blinded Rarity, who smiled back and nodded. Rarity trotted in a dignified, ladylike fashion, while Sweetie Belle bounced beside her, the rest of the way to Sugarcube Corner, mighty citadel everything delicious, and stronghold of all things party related. There were a couple of ponies ahead in line when they entered. Sweetie Belle zoomed up to the counter and started looking at the wonderful promises of delight at display. Rarity got her turn after a couple of minutes and ordered a blackberry muffin and tea at the advice of Derpy Hooves, who stood behind her in line. ”So, Sweetie Belle, have you decided?” She asked the spellbound filly. ”Ooh, ehm…” Sweetie Belle tried to decide, but could not. ”I will have a mazarin,” She blurted. She had never had that before, but whatever one of the Cake’s had touched was always delicious. ”Certainly,” Mrs. Cake smiled. ”That will be fifteen bits, or ten for you, Rarity.” ”Indeed not,” Rarity said with a friendly smile and produced fifteen bits. She gathered the pastries and went towards one of the window tables. Sweetie Belle looked at her mazarin all the while, as if it might disappear if she let it out of sight. The two sisters sat down and started eating, slowly in order to maximize the enjoyment. ”Soo,” Sweetie Belle asked when Rarity had finished, ”are we celebrating something?” ”We are,” Rarity said with a relaxed voice as she put the teacup down. ”I have just finished a large order for Sapphire Shores, so I actually have some free time for once.” Whatever reply Sweetie Belle might have planned was lost on Rarity as the door open and she heard the voice from before. ”Well I say, brother of mine, that went well. This will be a fresh start for us.” ”Right you are, dear brother, third time’s the charm. I can clearly feel that there is opportunity in this community yet.” Rarity almost choked on the tea as the pieces fell together in her mind. The words ”opportunity” and ”community” in one sentence could only mean… She turned around quickly and felt her neck protesting. Sure enough. In the line, talking to one another, were Flim and Flam, traveling con artists and Trouble nonpareil. They were still dressed in the same horrible striped vests, straw hats and neckties. The only thing that separated them was Flam’s mustache and slightly different pattern in his peppermint mane. ”Rarity, what is it?” Sweetie Belle asked, and followed Rarity’s look towards the two Unicorns. ”Who are those ponies?” She asked curiously. ”Ehm, nopony I know very well, I just was surprised, is all,” Rarity said quickly as her mind processed this new information. She had to warn Applejack. ”How come?” Sweetie Belle asked, even more curious. ”Well, I have not seen them around here in a long time,” Rarity said as she looked away and took a sip of tea. Sweetie Belle heard that her sister did not feel like discussing the two Unicorns, so she dropped the subject. ”You done, Sweetie?” Rarity asked, She wanted to leave before Flim and Flam spotted her. ”No,” Sweetie Belle said indignantly, and pointed at her half Mazarin. ”Hello, Rarity!” A peppy voice that filled Rarity with tired annoyance reached her ears. Flim and Flam had taken the table beside her. They each had an apple fritter in front of them and two cups. Flim drank coffee and Flam tea, just like Rarity. ”Fancy meeting you here, how lucky,” Flam said with a beaming, perl white smile. ”Flim and Flam,” Rarity said with a cold voice. ”How… unexpected,” ”Not at all,” Flim answered, as he wiped some coffee from his lip. ”My brother and I just got the Mayor’s blessing to start up a small business here in Ponyville, so I dare say we will see each other quite a lot.” ”Did you now?” Rarity’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. ”Best of luck to you. I think you will find that few ’communities’, as you would say, value honesty and fairness as much as Ponyville.” ”That is our hope,” Flam said confidently. ”We have turned over a new leaf, my brother and I, and where better to start our new life than here?” ”I suppose that’s true,” Rarity said courteously. She summoned up the charming part of her persona. ”Are you perhaps planning on selling cider again? I should warn you, that business is tough,” She said with a cute voice as she glared at the two brothers. ”Not at all, Rarity,” Flam said, ignoring her glare. ”We have expanded our repertoire, as it where. We are actually-” ”Stop, stop, stop, brother, or you will ruin the surprise,” Flim scolded with a friendly smile. ”You, and everypony else, will learn just what we will sell in just a couple of days.” ”Rarity, I am done,” Sweetie Belle said. All the almonds were gone from her Mazarin, but most of the crust was left. Rarity would normally have had quite a few things to say about picking food apart, but her mind was on other things right now. ”Well, Rarity, It was nice catching up, but I presume we will meet each other again soon?” Flam said with a hopeful voice. ”Maybe, I have a very hectic time in front of me, lots of orders and-” Rarity began. ”But Rarity, you just said that you were free of work now,” Sweetie Belle pointed out, proud that she could remind her sister of the happy news, that she somehow had forgotten. ”Oh, look at the sun,” Rarity said quickly while she shot a murderous glance in her sister’s direction. ”I simply must get going. Have a nice afternoon!” Rarity grabbed Sweetie Belle’s hoof and dragged the confused filly towards the door. Leaving two amused Trouble Nonpareil behind. The two sisters returned home to Carousel Boutique. Rarity went into the round building, but Sweetie Belle trotted of to Sweet Apple Acres, to a secluded part of the orchards where the fate of many a pony was dictated, a place few knew existed, and even fewer could access. The mythical Cutie Mark Crusader’s Clubhouse. She saw Scootaloo and Applebloom waiting for her outside the fabled treehouse. ”There you are, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo said in a relieved voice. ”Come, let’s plan our next crusade!” The three fillies went inside the clubhouse. Applebloom went behind the small dais from which the Cutie Mark Crusaders were governed. She banged the gavel and the meeting was opened. Now, the fate of Equestria was about to be decided (sort of). ”Applebloom, have you looked into the prospect of a firefighter cutie mark?” Sweetie Belle asked with an important tone. Applebloom nodded with a proud smile. ”We are goin’ ta get our firefighter cutie marks tomorrow, Cutie Mark Crusaders! Mah sis is going ta raze an old barn in the afternoon, so we can use that if we are early!” ”Your sister actually agreed to let us burn it?” Scootaloo asked with excitement. Her eyes sparkled. ”Nah, Ah haven’t asked her,” Applebloom fidgeted a little. ”But Ah figured that if the barn is going ta be razed anyway it doesn’t matter if we burn it, right? Besides, we will put out the fire, so we wont really burn it.” Sweetie Belle thought about that. ”Makes sense,” she said chirpily. ”Who could complain if we just put it out when we are done, and get our cutie marks?” The crusaders proceeded to plan a couple more activities for the rest of the weekend, just in case firefighter, for whatever reason, did not work. The agreed to try gardening, cider making (Applebloom’s idea), punch connoisseurs (Sweetie Belle’s idea), firework makers… ”You mean pyrotechnists?” Sweetie Belle corrected. ”Whatever, ponies who makes fireworks,” Scootaloo said with a somewhat annoyed voice. ”Pyrotechnists,” Sweetie Belle said. ”Whatever.” Rarity rose early next morning, for she wanted to warn Applejack about Trouble Nonpareil coming back to Ponyville. She took a warm, refreshing shower, dried her mane slowly and went downstairs to eat breakfast. The dishes told her that Sweetie Belle had risen very early today. After a nutritious breakfast of hay, lettuce and radishes with a cup of tea, drunk slowly, she brushed her teeth. She proceeded to brush her mane, apply just the right amount of makeup to prefect her already dazzling look. After that she went to a closet and brought out a four slim boots. She was not going to get her hooves dirty, and Sweet Apple Acres was not the cleanest place. She started to trot over to her destination, and reached it in fifteen minutes. She knocked on the door and was greeted by Applejack, who gave her a tired look. ”Perfect timin’ Rarity,” She said gloomily. ”Ah will need all the help Ah can get if Ah’m ta get through this,” She said with a voice that matched her look. ”Whatever do you mean?” Rarity said with a raised eyebrow. Applejack worked pretty much 24/7, so why was she so tired? ”Just come along, would ya?” The orange mare said. Confused, Rarity went with her friend to the living room, where the answer, or, rather answers, as to why Applejack was tired sat in the sofa. Trouble nonpareil apparently were early risers too. Flim and Flam sat with nervous looks and one cup of tea and coffee respectively in front of them. Across the table they were being glared at by Granny Smith and Big Mac. ”In case of me tryn’ to buck them through the wall, restrain me,” Applejack whispered as she rejoined her family. Rarity stood still in the doorway and looked at the scene before her. ”This looks like the beginning of a bad joke…” She thought dryly. ”So, what do ye scoundrels want?” Granny Smith asked in a somewhat hostile tone. The brothers fidgeted under her gaze. Gone were their confident smiles and perky demeanor. Rarity noted that there was uneasiness in their faces, but what’s more: shame. ”Ahh, w-we…” Flim began nervously. ”We have come to apologize for all we done, Mrs. Smith,” Flam said with a deflated voice. ”We wanted to… to ask you for a third chance…” Applejack looked at the two Unicorns with shock. Those words, coming from those two, was as easy to picture as a goodhearted King Sombra handing out free candy and apple fritters while singing the ”My little Pony™” theme. Then her face hardened. ”And why would we give y’all that?” She said with a dark voice. ”Y’all have done nothing but cause problem for may family an’ me. Why should we give y’all yet another chance to-” ”Hush, Applejack,” Granny Smith said sharply. She turned back to Flam. ”Go on, why do y’all want a third chance here? There are other towns like Ponyville, why here?” ”We have turned over a new leaf,” Flam said with a serious look. ”We want to prove to everypony that we are not… con artists… any longer, but honest workers.” ”Your family is the one who has been hit the hardest by us,” Flim blurted with an ashamed look. ”We… want to make amends here, we want to prove to everypony, ourselves included, that we have changed.” Granny smith cracked a small smile. ”Well Ah’ll be, y’all might not be such scoundrels after all,” she said with an appreciative look at the brothers. ”But, granny,” Applejack said uncertainly, ”These’ere two nearly ruined us the first time, an’ Celestia knows what would have happened with their Tonic scheme.” ”We will make amends any way we can Applejack, just… let us try,” Flim said. ”Will you give us two this last chance? Please…” Applejack’s eyes narrowed. She had fallen for these silver-tongued catalans before, and did not trust them. On the other hoof, they seemed sincere this time, and Applejack prided herself on being able to detect lies, being the Element of Honesty. ”What do you think, Big Mac?” She said slowly. ”Do ya trust them?” ”Nope,” came the immediate reply. ”But don’t ye think they should be given a chance to make things right?” Granny Smith asked. ”Eeyup,” Big Mac answered after a second. ”Then here’s whats gonna happen,” Granny smith said with a decisive voice. ”Ehm,” Flam interrupted sheepishly, ”I know it’s not my place or anything, but perhaps you should put out the stove, I can smell the smoke all the way over here.” Granny Smith, looked at Flam with uncomprehending eyes. ”The stove’s not burnin’…” ”Hang on Granny, Ah smell it to… but then where is it coming from?” Applejack said as she sniffed the air. ”Maybe outside?” Rarity suggested. Flim and Flam jumped in surprise. They had not seen her enter. Applejack trotted up to a window and looked over the orchards. Her eyes widened in shock. ”The old barn… IT’S BURNIN’!” She yelled and dashed for the door, followed closely by Big Mac. Flim and Flam looked at each other for a second and dashed away after the two siblings along with Rarity. Granny Smith followed as fast as she could, though that was not very fast. The five ponies found the barn burning brightly. The flames licked the blue morning sky. They stood mesmerized for a few seconds. ”Water!” Applejack screamed to her brother. ”The well!” She and her brother went to a nearby draw well and started hoisting up water. Rarity rushed to help with her magic, but Flim stood motionless and Flam looked sharply at the fire, as if he was analyzing it. He galloped of away from the well to the other side of the burning barn, his brother following closely. ”What are those two up to?” Rarity thought bitterly as she followed them. As she came around the barn, she saw Flim and Flam furiously blasting the trunk of an apple tree with their bright green magic. ”And what the hay are you think you are doing?!” She screamed indignantly as she galloped towards them. Normally, she would never dream of even considering to get close to use such language, but now she did not care. ”Help us, Rarity!” Flam said with a slightly panicked voice. ”If the fire spreads to the trees, then we will never stop it!” Rarity skidded to a halt and looked up. He heart froze. The branches hung perilously close to the burning barn. Slightest little wind would set the tree ablaze. She readied her magic and shot it straight at the trunk. It snapped. ”This is taking too long…” Flim said angrily. ”There must be a faster way…” ”Idea!” Rarity said with a bright voice. She galloped away and came up to Applejack. ”Applejack, you must help, you must buck the trees down, hurry!” She said in a breathless voice. ”The fire will spread, and nopony will stop it!” Realization dawned upon the orange mare. ”Ponyfeathers, ye’r right!” She said silently. ”Big Mac, help me here!” The two Apple siblings started to buck down the trees threatened by the fire, aided by Flim, Flam and Rarity. When they were done, the barn was more or less burnt down already, so they decided to let the fire die on its own. Soon there was only a pile of smoldering ash left. The five ponies panted and looked at black mark. Applejack turned to Rarity, a smile on her face. ”Thank’s a bunch, Rarity. Without you, there is no tellin’ what might have happened,” Applejack said warmly. ”Actually,” Rarity said with a breathless voice as she looked at her dirty boots, ”It was Flim and Flam who realized what would happen…” Applejack turned to the two brothers, who both smiled sheepishly and proudly at the same time. ”Ah… Ah never expected y’all ta help save Sweet Apple Acres,” Applejack said flatly. ”An honest worker helps another one, eh?” Flim said with a warm smile. ”Ah am a mare of actions over words,” Applejack explained. ” So Ah’ll believe y’all have ’turned over a new leaf’ when Ah see it. You have helped me, but Ah wonder if ye’ll help everypony else y’all have wronged. But for now, Ah’m willin’ ta give y’all the benefit of the doubt.” Applejack smiled at her two former enemies. ”Ah truly hope ya’re sincere,” She said. ”Don’t you worry, Honest Applejack,” Flim said confidently. ”Come to our little abode beside the post office tomorrow, and you will get your proof.” ”And this time we will not hurt your business. Promise,” Flam continued. ”Glad ta hear it,” Applejack said. ”Be seein’ y’all around.” ”I look forward to it,” Flim said. He and his brother started to walk down to Ponyville, a spring in their steps. Rarity heard them whistling their signature song. ”Well we got opportunity in this merry community…” she hummed and knew she would have that song stuck in her head on constant repeat for the next few days. ”Ehm, sis?” A small voice peeped from underneath a couple of bushes. Applejack and Rarity saw three familiar fillies covering under the branches. Their manes seemed to be slightly scorched. ”We’ve got somethin’ ta tell ye…” As Flim and Flam whistled, they suddenly heard a roar from the orchards behind them. They both broke into gallop. They did not know what terrible creature could make a sound like that, but they knew they should put as long a distance between it and themselves as possible. For that matter, they had things to take care of… Author's Note I have edited this myself, so it is fully possible that I have missed a few things. Please point out whatever mistakes you find. Chapter twoRarity had received the small envelope in with the mail when she got home. After having banished her sister to eternal damnation (a.k.a grounded her for a week), she had opened it and found a note proclaiming in brazen colors and over-the-top letters that the grand opening of ”Flim and Flam’s Fast Fabulous Fashionable Finery” would be held tomorrow at noon. The note was complete with the grinning faces of the two brothers. Rarity had decided to attend. As far as she could tell, they seemed sincere, and in that case she would be there to show her support. She had a feeling most of Ponyville would not be to forgiving on them… Rarity woke up the next morning and checked her mailbox. Not that she expected to much on a Sunday, but some pony might place an order. ”Nothing today…” Rarity said with a relieved sigh. ”Good, then I could make a few more dresses for the windows.” After her morning routine, she decided to get a head start at the dressmaking. She was so caught up in her work that she nearly forget that she was supposed to be down by the post office. ”Might as well check the mail there as too, seeing how Ponyville’s postal service as somewhat… unreliable,” Rarity thought for herself as she trotted down the street. She turned in on a smaller street down to the post office and noted a crowd of ponies gathered in front of a small building. Rarity did not have to look twice at the establishment to know she had come to the right place. The shop was painted in a yellow-green color, and had a peppermint roof. Outside over the door hung a freshly made sign shaped like the brothers' two faces in profile. The place looked like cross between circus tent and inn. Outside there was a small pile of boxes. As rarity neared the establishment, she could easily hear that most of the ponies did not seem to happy about the place. Rarity saw Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Twilight standing together at the side of the crowd, waiting. Rarity trotted up to them. ”Hello, Rarity,” Twilight said happily. ”So you got their… invitation too, huh?” ”Seems like all of Ponyville got one,” Pinkie Pie said happily. ”Maybe they will sell sugar and cotton candy and frosting and lollipops and frozen yoghurt and cotton candy and…” Pinkie went of into Lalaland. ”One can hope’ Ah guess…” Applejack said with a laugh. ”You does not seem to unhappy about this Applejack,” Twilight noted with an appreciative smile. ”Nah, they actually came ta mah farm yesterday an’ apologized for all they did,” Applejack said with a smile. ”Huh?” Twilight said with a surprised expression. ”I did not expect that…” ”Me nether, Twi, but-” Applejack suddenly went quiet, along with everypony else. She looked around and saw Flam stand on the boxes. She was surprised when she saw his face. She had expected the brothers to do a typical upbeat song and dance while they proceeded to explain to everypony why they could not live another day without whatever they were trying to sell. She was wrong, apparently. Flam stood up on the boxes and looked down on the ponies below him with regret. ”Everypony…” He said loudly, but without his normal peppiness. ”I recognize most of you, and I have no doubt that most of you came here to gloat, and my brother and I would most certainly deserve it.” ”Well, at least he is being honest?” Applejack whispered to Rarity. ”My brother and I wanted to return to this town and make amends for all that we did to you,” Flam continued with a solemn voice. He was met with an annoyed murmur. ”Of course, I know that you will not believe me, not after what I did, and nothing I say will change that. So, in order to, if not earn back your trust, at least clean our consciences, my brother and I have decided to return every last bit we scammed from you with our tonic scheme.” Flam gestured to a small seat beside the boxes, where his brother sat with a large bag of bits and a ledger beside him. ”My brother will return all what you paid back then,” Flam said with a small smile. ”I… I am truly sorry… for what we did.” Flam bowed down on top of the boxes. The crowd was silent. Then Applejack started to stomp her hooves in applause. This was exactly what she had wanted to see. Two ponies who truly had realized the error of their ways and who did not stop with mere talking to make amends. Soon her friends joined her applause, and then everypony else. Flim and Flam both let smiles of relief spread over their faces. ”Come, everypony, and get your money back!” Flim shouted when the mass has silenced somewhat. Most of the crowd formed a small line by Flim, who asked for the name of the pony in front, looked it up in the ledger and distributed the appropriate amount of bits. ”Hey, Flam!” Applejack shouted up to the salespony. ”What are y’all going to sell now?” ”I am glad you asked, Honest Applejack,” Flam said with a grin. ”Those who are interested in looking at our latest and greatest invention, please come with me!” He said to nopony in particular. Most ponies picked up on that offer. The populace of Ponyville was a forgiving lot, and everypony had been amazed by these brother’s cider machine. To them it was something alien and wonderful, like something from another world. A machine that could make cider itself? While the two Unicorns just relaxed on a couch? That was incredible, and this machine was supposed to be even more incredible? Was that even possible? The group of ponies went into the shop behind Flam. Twilight and her friends was in the front. They came into a room that looked a little like Rarity’s boutique, only not nearly as lavish. The small space had a couple of ponyquins dressed in near identical shirts, along with a whole wall with various bolts of fabrics behind a counter. Flam guided the ponies behind the counter to a small door and entered a room behind the main shopping area. The expectant ponies looked in awe at the giant monstrosity of metal and glass that took up most of the space. Applejack could not describe what she saw, but she had to agree it looked even more impressive than the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 had, and that was saying a lot. ”Now, I could give you all a long explanation about the beauty of our new ’Splendidly Swift Snipping Cybernetic Sewingmachine 700,’ but, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.” Flam said as soon as he stood in front of the machine. Applejack noticed that his salespony voice was back. ”Does anypony here want some new pair of clothes? Maybe a new shirt for the upcoming Summer Sun Celebration?” Nopony moved. ”Really,” Flam said with a cocky smile ”Nopony here needs new clothes?” ”As a matter of fact, Ah do!” Applejack said loudly, earning an an appreciative look from Flam. ”How lovely!” Flim, who had entered the small room along with some more ponies, said. ”Will you please present a couple of friends who can vouch that we have not bribed you in any way?” ”I will vouch for that!” Twilight said. Flam whistled theatrically. ”The Princess of Friendship, huh?” ”Well, I cannot ask for a better witness,” Flim continued. ”So, Applejack, if you would please come with me.” Flam and Flam left the room, the crowd in tow, and brought Applejack to the main part of the store. ”Please select your fabric,” Flam gestured towards the multitude of colors behind him. ”Ah don’t know…” Applejack said sheepishly. ”Somethin’ durable, like working clothes should be.” ”You got it,” Flim said as he levitated a bolt of brownish fabric down. He presented it to Applejack, who smiled when she felt it. It was rather thick, and not to beautiful of a color, but she could feel it was durable. Just what she would need for Autumn. ”This is fine,” She said. ”Now then, would you please stand over here?” Flim gestured to a part of the wall devoid of fabric, and instead filled with various markings. Applejack obediently stood by the wall. Flam looked at how the markings fell around Applejack, and scribbled something down on a small note. ”Thank you, Honest Applejack. Now the fun can begin,” Flim said. He caught the bolt of fabric in his magic and went into the door again. The crowd of ponies followed, excited to see what the machine would do. ”Here you go, brother of mine,” Flim said and levitated the bolt of fabric over to his brother, who quickly started to unfurl it and thread it onto the machine. Flim in the meantime pulled down levers and pressed some buttons while looking at his notes. ”There, all done,” Flim said confidently. ”One moment… there,” Flam said. ”Ready Flim?” ”Ready Flam!” ”Let’s bing bang zam!” The two brothers shoot two bolts of magic at an iron stick, and the magic started to flow into the engine. Green sparks began to flow through the glassed wires on top of the machine, and then the cogwheels started to spin. The bolts of fabric were rolled up, cut, and fed to different parts of the contraption. The iron monstrosity chugged and whirled for almost ten minutes, mesmerizing everypony with it’s confusing gears and shifting cogs. There was always something new to look on, a spinning cogwheel, an electric jolt flowing through the glassed wires… It was impossible to look away, the contraption seemed out of this world with it’s sounds, sparks and gears. How was it possible that a machine could do all of this? As the ponies wondered, the machine abruptly stopped. The ponies looked at each other with surprised glances. ”And, voilá!” Flim said as he proudly presented an overall made of the fabric. He gave it to Applejack, who immediately took it on. ”There you have it, everypony!” Flam said with his salespony voice. ”This is Flim and Flam’s Fast Fabulous Fashionable Finery. New clothes in ten minutes in any fabric you want!” ”Not to mention the price!” Flim added. ”Only fifty bits for a shirt, up to one five hundred for a complete suit with tie! ”Incredible!” Flam said with an over-the-top voice. ”Invaluable!” Flim continued. ”Invincible!” ”Insurmountable!” ”What more can you wish for!” They both finished together as a blast of confetti appeared behind them from nowhere in particular. ”We open tomorrow, and hope to see some of you then!” Flim and Flam said in unison and made a sweeping bow. All ponies except for one stomped their applause. Clothing was something that always had been expensive, for it was time consuming and hard to produce. But suddenly, everypony could feel like the upper class of Canterlot, prancing around in their elaborate outfits. Not to mention the spectacle. It was wonderful to see the machine work. It was just so… strange. It held a promise of mystery and elegance within it. To own a piece of clothing made by the machine was, as Rainbow Dash would have put it, awesome. Rarity left the small house as in a dream. To her it looked like a nightmare. She finally understood how Applejack had felt when the brothers came with their cider machine. This was exactly the same for her. That machine had produced an overall of what seemed decent quality in a fraction of the time it took her to make a similar one. And the price. ”How can they be so cheap?” Rarity thought with distress as she fought the tears down ”Only the fabric should cost more that that…?” Only the fabric. Rarity thought. That was it. The brothers did not pay anything else. They did not have to pay anypony for working for them, which normally would make it take longer time for them to produce anything. But their machine worked faster than anypony could. ”Well, Rarity,” She said to herself with steel in her voice. ”I will show them that there are some things that machines cannot do, no matter how sophisticated they are. Dresses, like cider, are made by love and integrity.” The days passed slowly and became weeks. After two of those, Rarity was forced to admit that she would be in real trouble soon. She saw more and more ponies wearing Flim and Flam’s clothing with each passing day, even those who had never bought anything from her. Even Derpy Hooves now had a blueish vest to go with her mail cap. ”Whatever shall I do?” The alabaster mare said with a ponderous and stressed voice to her pillow. ”I am a seamstress, not an economist,” She said to herself in her pity, and discovered yet another frightening fact. She was no economist. She did not know how to compete in her work. Normally she would not be afraid, she knew her skill with the sewing machine, but this was not a battle skill would win. Flim and Flam had something Rarity had not: they knew how to make ponies buy their stuff; they were salesponies through and through. Rarity was just a seamstress. As Rarity got up the next morning she was greeted with a couple of good news. First of all, Sweetie Belle had left a note saying something about a field-plowing cutie mark over at Sweet Apple Acres. Normally, Rarity would not approve of such an activity, but the circumstances were not normal. She needed time to think. Rarity was just about to get herself some breakfast when she heard a familiar crash to the wall. ”Mailmail!” Derpy Hooves said happily as she peeked her head through the door. She wore her new uniform. ”My stars, Der- Ehm, Ditzy, how do you feel?” Rarity asks with concern. She still did not think it was healthy to smack your head in a wall more than ten times a day. ”Here is your mail!” The mailmare said with veering eyes and handed Rarity two envelopes. One contained an order from Fancypants for a new tuxedo. He was going to attend the Summer Sun Celebration, and wanted to look his best, as he wrote in the letter. This would get Rarity some much needed bits. The other one was the rent for this month. ”Thanks,” Rarity said with a tired voice. ”And there was one more thing…” Derpy said as she looked around the boutique. ”Yes darling?” Rarity said with a warm smile. ”Do you think you can repair this for me?” Derpy put her hoof to her stomach. There was a rather large rip in the seam. Considering Derpy’s many crashes, her clothes probably aged a hundred times faster than normal. ”Oh, of course,” Rarity laid her ears flat against her skull. It did feel humiliating to repair the clothes that might run her out of business. ”No, Rarity, they are not going to run you out of business. They will never get your boutique,” She thought to herself as she put the uniform over her desk. If nothing else, this might be a perfect opportunity to gain some valuable information. ”Just come by and pick them up in an hour or so…” Derpy nodded energetically and flew straight into the wall again on her way out. She left Rarity alone with the uniform and her thoughts. Rarity decided to concentrate of what she knew first, and figure out a solution to what she didn't know later. After starting on Fancypants’s tuxedo, she began to examine Derpy’s uniform. She nodded to herself, scowling. This was pretty much what she had expected. Straight, exact seams, more so than anything a pony could make. She also realized that the quality of each seam was pretty bad, but the sheer amount of thread holding the clothes together made them durable still. ”Quantity over quality, that seems to be what Flim and Flam is all about,” Rarity said to herself as she examined the uniform. ”With the cider it mattered, because they concentrated to much on quantity. Now they maintain just the quality needed to keep ponies happy, while still being able to churn out clothes at breakneck speed…” As Rarity thought about that, her hooves worked without her mind and sew up the rip in the cloths. When she was done, she decided to take a short walk. She had always had some of her best ideas when walking around in Ponyville. She stepped out in the blazing sun. She wandered around aimlessly for a while. It did not escape her notice that wearing clothes was almost as common as not these days. ”Flim and Flam are simply too cheap…” Rarity thought, as she had many a times before, ”My work takes so long… my prices must be higher than theirs. But what do I have that they do not?” Her thought stopped there, as usual. As much as she hated to admit it, as much as it scared her, she did not know the answer. Sure, she had the quality but, again, that was not what this was about. ”I need help…” Rarity finally admitted. ”But who can help me? Who else has knowledge with running a business?” Rarity quickly rejected most of her friends. Twilight was a princess, she could cross out the word ”expensive” from the dictionary. Fluttershy could more or less live off what she grew herself, and had little to no expenses. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash ware both hired, Rainbow by the weather team and Pinkie by the Cakes. They did not run their own businesses. Applejack, on the other hoof, did run a business, and she had a history with the brothers. Rarity had to ask her for help. She looked up to the large clock tower, and found it was almost time for Derpy to collect her uniform. Rarity picked up her pace and arrived at Carousel Boutique just as a gray streak mutilated the flowers outside it. Rarity sighed and picked up the dazed but ever so happy Pegasus. ”Your uniform is done,” Rarity said curtly, not in the mood to speak. Until she thought of something. ”Say, Ditzy, why did you all of a sudden become interested in cloths? I haven’t seen you wear anything before?” Ditzy looked happily at her uniform, than up to Rarity. ”I have never had the bits before, not with Dinky to care for. But they are cheap, and…” Derpy leaned close to Rarity and lowered her voice conspiratorially, ”…I really like to see their machine work. It just look so… machiny…” Derpy smiled even wider. ”I see. Well, have a nice day, darling!” Rarity said with feigned happiness. Derpy managed to dodge the wall on her way out. To bad the door was closed… Crash! Rarity sighed again. ***** Flim was trotting back to his and his brother’s shop along with some books in his saddlebags. He hummed his favorite song, ”Opportunity”. He felt better than he had in a long time. Their shop seemed to go well so far, and everypony loved their cloths. ”I really like it here,” Flim thought to himself. ”Of course, the view in Ponyville is the most amazing one in Equestria, at least during the market days…” Flim snickered. He proceeded to think about the improvements he could do at the machine as he entered the shop. ”Smaller safety marginals to reduce cloth waste, more patterns and sizes…” His brother stood behind the counter along with Roseluck, who was in the process of picking fabric. ”That one, I think,” She pointed to a summer green bolt of fabric. ”Of course,” Flam said with a smile, ”just let me take your measurements, and you will have your new dress in no time.” Ten minutes later, Roseluck left the store in a new dress. Flam levitated a portion of the bits over to a safe and beamed at his brother. ”Do you know what this is, brother of mine?” Flam said as he held a single bit in his hoof. ”This is the first bit in profit we make. The rent is paid, and the next shipment of cloth has been paid too. We are making money the honest way!” ”Wonderful brother! We should celebrate,” Flim said as he trotted up to his brother. They hugged each other quickly. ”You said it, brother!” Flam said. ”Perhaps we should buy new cloths? To symbolize our new lives, eh?” ”Excellent idea, and I think I am going to put my own little scheme in motion,” Flim said with a mischievous smile. ”Go get her, brother!” Flam said as he thumped his brother in the back. ”But first, let’s visit Rarity’s.” ”Perhaps, you two gentlecolts might wait a couple of minutes? After all, you don’t need more time than that to make new set of shirts.” Flim and Flam both turned to the door and saw the richest pony in Ponyville, Filthy Rich, along with the scourge of ponykind and champion of all that is evil (a.k.a Diamond Tiara) in the doorway. ”Mr. Filthy, what might bring you to our humble abode?” Flim said with a smile and a low dip of his head. ”I prefer Mr. Rich, and I wanted to resupply on shirts. How much for five of them?” The stallion said lightly. ”Two hundred and fifty normally,” Flam said. ”But my brother and I are celebrating something, so we will throw in one for free,” Flim continued. ”That is two hundred bits for five, or two hundred and fifty for six,” Flam clarified. ”That’s might generous of you gentlecolts, I will take six shirts,” Mr Rich said with an appreciative smile. ”Perhaps you could throw a little something together for my Diamond too?” ”Sure thing, Sir, what might little Diamond want?” Flim asked peppily. ”I am not little,” Diamond Tiara said with an annoyed look. ”And I want a pink scarf, not magenta or purple, pink.” ”A pink scarf is thirty, and six shirts will be two hundred and eighty bits,” Flam said from behind the counter. ”Please select your fabrics.” ”When are you going to start the machine?” Diamond Tiara said in a commanding tone. ”I want to see it work.” Almost an hour later and with two hundred and eighty bits on their pockets, the two brothers trotted over towards Carousel Boutique. ”Celestia smiles upon us brother,” Flim said confidently. ”Filthy will wear our shirts and speak of our generosity. I think the best is yet to come for our little store.” ”With you as my brother, what could go wrong!” Flam said with a great deal of swagger. They arrived at Carousel Boutique, but found it locked. ”Huh,” Flam said with a s surprised glance. ”Guess she must be out…?” ”Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Flim said theatrically. ”What salespony goes out in the middle of a day? Well, that gives me some time to begin my own little scheme…” Author's Note Just as before, I have edited this myself. Please point out whatever mistakes you find so that I can correct them. Chapter three”So, Applejack, I need your help. Whatever shall I do?” Rarity said with a hollow voice. She knew Applejack would never hold it against her, but it still hurt her pride to beg for help like this. ”Hm, Ah’m not sure Ah can help ya, Rarity,” Applejack said with an apologetic tone. ”Ah mean… We apples do not sell single dresses like you, we sell in bulk, an’ most of our customers are not even ponies, but companies.” ”But you must have learned something about selling, right?” Rarity said with a distressed voice. She had paid the rent for this month, but would not have enough for next time if it continued like this. ”Please you…I need your help…” Rarity said. She looked at Applejack with pleading eyes. ”Why do ponies buy your apples?” ”Because they work further with them,” Applejack said truthfully. ”They make cider, jam, liquor, pastries and so on. Besides, the Apple family pretty much own every apple farm in Equestria, so there is no competition…” Rarity nearly broke down, she had never been so stressed before. But Applejack was right, apple business did not seem to have any similarities with dressmaking. ”What about Flim and Flam? You defeated them twice. How can I do that?” ”Well, this reminds a lot of their cider selling scheme,” Applejack said thoughtfully. ”We managed to show that their product was inferior to ours, an’ that was the end of it…” ”But their clothes are not inferior, that are just as good as you would expect with their prices,” Rarity said with a sniffling voice. ”In that case ya need ta figure out how they can keep so low prices,” Applejack said simply. Then her face twisted into a tortured grimace. She continued. ”But Rarity…If their product is not inferior… and their prices are lower… then… then ya’re in real trouble,” she left the rest unsaid, but Rarity understood. ”I will show you too,” she said with tears in her eyes. ”I will show you all!” Rarity screamed with a broken voice and stormed out of the house, deaf to Applejack’s protests. On the road up to the house she met one of the ponies she wanted to see the least. Flim was whistling and carried a couple of books in his saddlebags. ”Hello, Rarity!” He said happily. Rarity locked on his happy face and smacked him as hard as she could. Flim let out as startled and pained scream and fell on his back. Before he even understood what had happened, Rarity was gone. He looked down the road after her. Hoofbeats behind him caused him to look towards Sweet Apple Acres, and he saw a peach Earth Pony coming towards him fast. He felt his cheeks redden. This was not the position he wanted to be seen in. ”Flim?” Applejack said in a confused tone as she found the Unicorn. ”What the hay happened ta you?” ”Rarity happened,” Flim said dryly. ”I know it is not my place, but have you two been arguing? She looked mighty upset…” ”Not arguin’, but she seemed ta have gotten herself in financial trouble,” Applejack said as she helped Flim stand up. He brushed of his vest. ”Financial trouble?” Flim looked nervous. ”Not because of us, right?” He hoped against hope that it was not because of him and his brother. ”Yes, Flim,” Applejack said with a sigh. ”Ah…Ah really don’t think that y’all wanted this ta happen, but…” Flim swallowed, and asked the dreaded question. ”You… you want us to…to shut down our store, right?” Applejack looked back at Flim with wide eyes. ”Y’all would do that? Ya’ll do that, if I ask?” ”Flam is going to strangle me,” Flim thought. ”Yes,” he answered. ”Why?” Applejack asked, suspicious now. ”Oh, hay no, not yet!” Flim thought. He could feel his face redden at the thought. ”That is something I would rather keep to myself for now…” He said with roving eyes. ”Fair enough, Ah guess,” Applejack said with a shrug. ”Ah… Ah am not goin’ ta ask y’all ta shut down. Ah can’t do that to ya, not after y’all really have tried ta better yerself… it’s not mah place…” The two ponies stood in a strained silence for a couple of moments before Applejack spoke again. ”So, why did ya come here anyway?” ”I…I” Film stammered with a mixture of relief and stress in his voice. ”I still do not think my brother and I have repaid you for forgiving us yet… do you need any help with your economics? Like, can I help your farm in any way?” He levitated the books out from his saddlebags. ”Das Clopital,” was written on one of them. Applejack was perplexed. Did Flim and Flam, Flim and Flam, care that much for Sweet Apple Acres? Applejack could not help but to blush ever so slightly. She really liked what the brothers had become. They truly had changed for the better. And Flim’s awkwardness was kind of cute… ”Ah, don’t think Ah need no help, Ah’m afraid…” Applejack stopped mid sentence. This might be a golden opportunity to help Rarity and put the brothers to their final test. ”But there is some pony else who might need ya…” ”Hmm?” Flim said with a slightly disappointed but curious expression. ***** Rarity galloped home as fast as her hoofs would carry her. The tears blurred her sight, but she did not care. She dashed into her boutique and shut the door behind her. She fell on her trusty divan and cried in loud, choppy sobs. Applejack had broken all her resolve. She had felt it deep within herself for a while now, she would have to struggle to get through this. But she really had thought she would get through it, one way or another. Flim and Flam would leave, or that their machine would be destroyed somehow. Applejack, Applejack with her cursed honesty, had bluntly crushed her hopes and, what’s more, part of her identity. Rarity had always prided herself on her sewing skills, and they day she opened her boutique had been the happiest day in her life, baring the day Sweetie Belle was born. But Applejack had dashed that happiness. Her statement, her honest statement, was proof that a machine not only could do what she could, but better, faster and cheaper too. ”Rarity?” A worried, peeping voice said beside her. Rarity jerked up from the pillow she had cried in and looked beside her. She saw a blurry, white and pink mass in front of her. ”Rarity, what happened?” Sweetie Belle asked. ”N-nothing,” Rarity said with a thick voice. ”N-nothing at all…” Sweetie Belle looked into her sister’s red eyes and put her tiny legs around her neck. She said nothing else. Rarity gave her sister a backbreaking hug as she continued to cry her heart out. Rarity went on for what might have been minutes or hours. Eventually, slowly, she calmed down, and Sweetie Belle gently wriggled out of her embrace. ”Now will you tell me what happened?” She asked, still in an anxious tone. Rarity dried her tears and looked at Sweetie Belle. She felt a pang of guilt when she saw the worried look in her little sister’s eyes. ”I… I have… run into financial troubles,” Rarity said, ashamed. She could not even give her little sister the safety any filly should have while growing up… ”Financial?” Sweetie Belle gave a questioning look. Rarity felt her heart melt when she looked at the infinitely cute, asking eyes of the little Unicorn. ”I means I do not have much money left, dear,” Rarity said apologetically. ”Why?” Sweetie Belle asked in that annoyingly curious way that only a little sister could. ”F-Flim and Flam makes better clothes than I…” Rarity said with a resigned voice. She finally admitted. ”B-but… then what will happen?” Sweetie Belle’s voice rose in worry and fear. ”We… we will not have to leave…P-Ponyville… right?” Her voice cracked at the final word. ”No,” Rarity said with a warm voice as she petted her little sister. She continued the sentence in her mind. ”No, Sweetie Belle, we will not have to leave Ponyville. I will make sure of that, Celestia help me.” The two Unicorns hugged again, taking solace in each other’s company. The doorbell tingled. Rarity felt a rush of awkwardness as she realized how she must look. The door opened and Applejack stood in the doorway. Her gold green eyes swept over the room and stopped at the alabaster Unicorn. ”Rarity, Ah cannot help ye with economics, but there is somepony else who can, an’ Ah’ll make sure you accept his help, got it?” ”I really cannot afford to be picky right now,” Rarity said with a sullen voice. ”Good, then hoof over your business ledgers,” A voice From Rarity’s nightmares said from behind Applejack. She stepped aside and revealed Flam, an abacus and a couple of quills and ink in his magical grasp. ”Why are you here? Come to gloat?” Rarity said with fresh tears in her eyes. ”An’ that’s exactly why Ah’m here,” Applejack said with a serious expression. ”Sweetie Belle, do ya know where yer sister’s ledgers are?” Sweetie Belle nodded, and looked at her sister. Rarity looked at Flam, then at Sweetie Belle. She bent her head in a silent nod. She felt whatever pride she had left scatter in her heart. Sweetie Belle trotted up to an old vitrine with a couple of drawers near the floor. She opened them and revealed a few thick books. Flam levitated them up from the drawer and put them on a small table. He sat down and looked expectantly at Rarity. She looked back with red cried eyes. ”Rarity, get yer flank over there,” Applejack said with a small smile, earning her a glare from the Unicorn in question. After a moment Rarity smiled too. Bickering with Applejack was something she could always do… ”Give a pony an apple, and ye feed her for a day. Teach a pony to farm apples, and ye feed her for a lifetime,” Applejack said wisely. ”Time for ye to learn some salesponyship.” Rarity got up from her divan and sat down beside Flam who gave her a supportive smile. She smiled back. She was not out of business yet. She could do this. Flam had been still on his chair for hours, looking through Rarity’s business ledgers and scribbling down unintelligible notes on a paper. When he put down the quill, the evening had fallen. Applejack had left them an hour earlier, and Sweetie Belle, who had demanded to stay with her sister, had fallen asleep on the divan. She snored lightly and was curled up into a small marshmallow and cotton candy ball. Flam turned to Rarity. ”I… I must start with telling you how sorry I am. I can see here that your trouble is our fault,” He began. His voice was somber. ”Both my brother and I thought your store was specialized towards more extravagant cloths, and so we would not steal your customers…” ”Actually,” Flam continued with a hapless smile, ”I have been meaning to ask you how you could run such an establishment in this small town. Seems I got my answer…” ”I can’t,” Rarity said silently. ”Can I?” Flam was silent for a moment. ”Not like this, no. If this is going to work, then you need to focus a lot more on your orders. Ponyville is simply to small for such a specialized shop,” Flam said slowly. ”Right now, orders seem to cover about forty-five percent of your expenses, while repairing other ponies clothing covers about fifteen precent. This leaves forty percent that once was selling.” Rarity felt ill. ”F-forty precent?” She said, her voice shaking a little. ”I need to up my income from repairs and orders by… forty precent?” ”Yes,” Flam said bluntly. ”Good news is you have nice names here, Fancypants, Sapphire shores… If you got them to speak about you, then you could make enough. Furthermore, since a lot of ponies are wearing clothes now, repair income will probably rise.” ”So…I can do this?” Rarity asked, praying to Celestia for a positive answer. ”If you get the right ponies to talk about your clothes, and cut down on your expenses for a while, then yes,” Flam said. He allowed a smile to spread across his face as he said it. He saw Rarity’s eyes glitter in the moonlight, and suddenly realized how beautiful she was, ”T-thank you,” she said with gleaming eyes. ”Thank you ever so much.” ”My pleasure, Rarity,” He said truthfully. ”There are a couple of things I want to ask you though…” ”Go ahead,” Rarity said. Flam picked up a note. ”Fabrics” was written on top of it, or at least that’s what Rarity thought. ”You pay a lot for your fabrics, Rarity,” Flam said. Rarity was perplexed. She had never thought of that expense before. She had looked around and never found anything cheaper. ”No, I don’t?” she said in a questioning tone. ”My brother and I pay twice as much as you, and we get almost four times as much,” Flam said without formalities. ”We buy in bulk, so we pay more bits than you, but in the long run it saves us a fortune.” Rarity looked at the Unicorn. She had missed that all these years? ”I… I never knew…” She said sheepishly, bitterly. I she had known that earlier, then it could have saved her from this catastrophe, and now she did not have bough bits to buy large quantities. ”Well, now you do, and it is those kind of things that will make you a salespony,” Flam said with his serious voice. He yawned. ”Perhaps we can call it a night?” He proposed. ”Very well,” Rarity said as she realized how tired she was. ”Will you come again?” ”Every evening for as long as you need me,” Flam said with a small smile. ”My brother and I put you in this mess, and I will get you out of it, so help me.” As Flam stood in the doorway, he turned around to Rarity. ”By the way, my brother and I want a couple of new shirts, just like this one. Think you can do that?” Rarity giggeled, really happy for the first time in a while. ”Sure I can,” She said. ”I will take your measurements tomorrow.” Flam smiled at her and picked his straw hat from the rack. As he left Carousel Boutique the brisk night air hit him in the face. He took a deep, refreshing breath. A few minutes later he unlocked the door to Flim and Flam’s Fast Fabulous Fashionable Finery, and found his brother behind the counter, pretending to read a book on mechanics. ”So, brother, what do you think?” He asked in a voice that tried to be relaxed but Flam recognized as anxious. ”She can make it, if she is lucky and really works for it,” Flam said grimly. ”But… truth to be told, I would not place to high of a bet on it. Her only hope is the Canterlot aristocracy, and they are notoriously picky with their cloths…” Flim sighed. All the air seemed to disappear from the Unicorn. He looked at his brother with a hapless smile. ”Well, brother, seems this is the end of the line for my dream…” A fire ignited behind Flam’s eyes and his face contorted in anger. ”Oh, hay no, brother,” he said slowly as he trotted up to his twin. He slammed his hoof in the counter so hard it cracked. Flim looked with surprise and a little fear into the inferno that was his brother’s eyes. ”After all you have done through to make it to this point you are not going to throw in the towel, YOU HEAR ME?! You will go to Sweet Apple Acres TOMORROW, and you will tell Applejack everything, or with Celestia and the Dark King Sombra himself as my witnesses, I promise I will!” Flim nodded slowly, resigned. ”I will do it… tomorrow… I hope this works…” ”There is always opportunity in a community until the opposite is proved,” Flam said with a small smile. His anger had all but vanished. ”Heh, true that, brother. Thanks,” Flim said with an expression that was a mixture of hopelessness and laughter. ”Come on, brother, let’s sleep,” Flam said and beaconed the door to the room where the Splendidly Swift Snipping Cybernetic Sewing machine 700 stood. ***** The next day Flim and Flam spent trotting around Ponyville and talk to random ponies. In such a small community you did not only sell your product, but also yourself. Keeping a good appearance and personality was a must. Thus they went to Sugarcube corner and had a brief conversation with Pinkie Pie, (brief by Pinkie’s standards, it took them forty-five minutes to buy their fritters) and then proceeded to the Ponyville Spa to enjoy a lovely mud bath. Flim could almost relax, the only problem was his brother’s urging looks that only amplified as the day went on. Flim continued to smile reassuringly and delve into conversations with whoever happened to be nearby, thus effectively dodging ”verbal encouragement”, as his brother would put it. However, as evening began to fall, he could not run any longer. Flam had ”persuaded” his brother to accompany him to Carousel Boutique. Before he entered, he turned to Flim with a decisive look. ”You will go to Sweet Apple Acres now, and you will come here afterwards. If you don’t, I will visit Applejack myself,” He said calmly. Before Flim could voice a reply, his brother had entered the boutique, leaving Flim alone with his worries. Slowly he began to walk to Sweet Apple Acres. As he walked through the orchards, he became aware of just how beautiful it was. In the dying light of late summer, every apple tree seemed to be ablaze, caught in vivid orange and brownish color. The fruits hung red and ripe from the branches, making the orchard gleam with promises of sweetness. And the scent. The subtile fragrance of apples mixed with damp grass and mulch. It smelt earthly, rich in a way that Flim could not put in words. Or, actually, he could put it into words, one word was enough. ”Applejack…” He said slowly as if he tasted the word. ”Whenever I smell this, will I think of her then?” Flim snickered. ”Also, since when did I become such a philosopher?” ”Hey there!” Came the southern accent of Flim’s dreams from in among the apple trees to his left. As he turned, he saw Applejack coming towards him. Her coat shone like flaming gold in the sunlight, and her mane and tail like liquid fire, partly hidden under her bronze Stetson. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful sight Flim had seen in his life. ”Here goes…” He thought as he swallowed. ”So, how can Ah help ye, Flim?” Applejack asked. ”Ehm…” He begun tentatively, ”I have a couple of things to tell you… about why my brother and I came here, and… and why we became honest in the first place…” Applejack’s expression shifted. Her face became serious. ”Ahright, tell me,” She said. Her voice was somewhat harder. ”Well, going honest served a double purpose,” Flim began. He tried to think of the situation as when he described his mechanics to Flam. Slow and explanatory. ”First of all, it would be the only way to redeem myself in your eyes, Applejack. and two, I needed a steady income,” ”Well, after what y’all have done, Ah believe ye have redeemed yerself, at least,” Applejack said with a warm smile. ”But, why do y’all care so much about mah family an’ me?” ”Because… because I love you Applejack…” Flim said in a barely audible voice. ”TO FAST!!!” His mind yelled at him. ”What?” Applejack said, convinced that she misheard. ”I have been smitten by you ever since last time I was here. After I saw what you did when you exposed our tonic scheme, I realized what kind of a mare you were. You were not afraid to do what was right, no matter what. I respected that.” Flim said in a progressively faster voice, relieved to finally tell the mare of his dreams what he felt. ”That respect deepened over time, until I just couldn’t get you out of my mind. I wanted to do what was right as well, I had to do what was right, so I told my brother of my feelings.” Flim’s expression became dreamy. ”Dearest brother Flam… he always understood me, and he supported me… together we began to rebuild our lives…” ”Hang on there…” Applejack said, still shocked. ”Are ye sain’… are ye sain’ that everythin’… y’all goin' honest, repayin’ the ponies ye scammed…” Flim nodded. ”It was all for you, Applejack, because I wanted you to… to love me as I love you…” ”So,” Applejack said slowly. ”You an’ your brother… turned your lives upside down… for me?” ”That we did,” Flim said softly with a proud smile. ”And I could not be happier for it,” ”NOW!” Flim’s mind screamed at him. ”Applejack… will…will you be my special somepony?” He asked, not daring to look at her. Applejack just stared blankly without seeing. This was just unreal. Flim had done everything just for her? Apparently… As soon as she had though that, she felt a surge of warmness well up within her. Flim had given up everything, his entire life, for her. He had dared to change, really change, for her. ”That is a pony Ah can love…” Applejack thought as she felt tears fill her eyes. Tears of bottomless joy. She was moved. She was in love. Applejack put a hoof under his chin and made him to look into her eyes. Grass green and gold green locked with each other. ”Yes,” Applejack said with gleaming eyes, her voice thick with emotion ”Yes, Ah will.” The two ponies, salespony and farmer, bent forward, put their hooves at each other’s backs, and, just as the sun fell beneath the horizon, their lips met. Inside Sugarcube Corner, a pink Earth Pony was happily eating the frosting of some cupcakes, when she felt something. Her heart began to beat at triple speed, and her mane convoluted and shaped into something. Her eyes grew wide as she realized what happened. Her favorite combo. Pinkie abandoned the cupcakes and ran up to her room as fast as her hooves would carry her. Then, when she entered, she looked into the mirror. She smiled when she saw her mane. It was shaped like a perfect, pink, heart. Author's Note No clue why, but I really like Applejack and Flim . Probably because I like Flim and Flam... Whatever, if you are not happy with this ship, then... you loss? Chapter fourPrince Blueblood was slowly moseying his way through the upper reaches of Canterlot, among the gardens more or less prohibited for ”the lowly peasants”, as he would put it. He walked through the greenery and looked at the various flowers, silently noting their flaws and imperfections. ”Incredible,” he thought bitterly. ”Not even in Canterlot can one find a flower perfect and pristine enough to be worthy of my royal eyes…” Blueblood vaporized a couple of roses as he passed them, confident that the gardener would be blamed anyway. He trotted into his castle again and went to his own quarters. He was bored. Maybe torturing the servants could cheer him up? ”Lowly lackey!” He called, and five seconds later a red unicorn appeared. That was six seconds too long of a wait in Blueblood’s opinion. ”Yes, my Prince?” The lowly lackey said, tiredness in her voice. She knew how the Prince was when he was angry. ”Are there any letters of importance today?” Blueblood said as he glared at the lowly lackey. ”Only a letter from Fancypants inviting you to his garden party this evening…” the lowly lackey answered quickly. She fidgeted under his gaze. Blueblood felt his cheeks heat up ever so slightly. He was the Prince of Canterlot, last in line of the ancient Unicorn kings. Fancypants was required, by etiquette, to invite him to all of his parties. But it was always Fancypants who was the popular one of those parties, and Blueblood hated that. Fancypants was nothing compared to his own grandeur. How could he, the heir to Princess Platinum herself, be less popular than anypony? Blueblood had proposed that Celestia should outlaw being more popular than him, but, for whatever reason, nothing had happened yet… Blueblood sighed. Right now he was so bored he actually would attend Fancypant’s party, if only to ”accidentally” drop glasses. ”Very well. In my limitless generosity, I have decided to grace Fancypant’s humble… ” Buleblood tried to find a demeaning word, but failed. ”…party this evening. That should brighten his day.” The lowly lackey did not know Fancypants, but she felt sorry for him. She would probably have felt sorry for Chrysalis, too if it was her party, but still… A few hours later, the Prince of Canterlot found himself dropping a crystal glass probably worth more than Sweet Apple Acres. He decided to ”go and get a new one”, which meant sneaking into Fancypant’s private room and see if he could find something embarrassing to sell to the paparazzi. As the prince looked through the few letters his host had received, his eyes locked on something. He felt rage beginning to boil in his heart. Too well did he recognize the cutie mark stamped onto the envelope. Three light blue gemstones. All too clear did the prince remember the beautiful alabaster mare from the Grand Galloping Gala a few years back. He remembered the humiliation too. He did not recall her name, of course, so he had never been able to get back at her, but now… ”Rarity…” Blueblood said as he read the letter. His lips curled upwards in a smirk that would have made Sombra proud. ”Financial trouble, eh?” He said sweetly, venomously. ”Would be a shame if somepony…” He picked up the envelope in his magic and vaporized it. ”Oops, my bad,” he said to himself. He suddenly felt in a much better mood. That night Prince Blueblood had a most wonderful dream. He dreamt that Rarity the Unicorn would come hungry and dirty to his home and beg of forgiveness, for him to give her something to eat, something to wear, anything. At first, Blueblood would act like he should, and then, just when she thought she was saved, he would slam the door right in her face, and listen to her crying and begging outside. The prince slept with a smile on his lips all the night. ***** Rarity looked at the image in the mirror. Alabaster coat with a silky texture, impossibly soft and long mane, colored in royal purple. Sapphire blue irises surrounding two uncharted, infinitely deep pools. Her horn was not slender nor stocky, it was elegant. A beautiful, elegant spiral, wonderfully framed by her eyes and mane. The icing of the cake was her cutie mark, the three ice blue gemstones that stood out enough to draw attention, but not enough to make ponies look away from her face for very long. Rarity sure did not look like a criminal. ”I have to, it’s only temporary, I have to…” She mumbled silently to herself as she stood in front of the mirror. She looked over her outfit. It was a simple, black thing that would help her meld with the darkness, as well as hide her, in Ponyville, very rare coat color. In the saddlebags she also had a crowbar. ”Why, Fancypants?” Rarity wondered for the thousand time. ”When I really need you, why wouldn’t you answer?” She was out of time. Even if she would get an order tomorrow, it would take her too long to receive payment for it. ”Desperate times calls for desperate measures Rarity,” She told her mirror image. ”You promised Sweetie Belle, and it is only temporary.” The mirror image still had a deeply ashamed look on its face. Rarity had a plan. She was ashamed of it, but it was likely her only chance as she saw it. She would have a sale on some of her more fancy clothing. Since the Summer Sun Celebration only was a week away, there was a lot of potential customers. Problem was that Flim and Flam would steal most of them, even if she had a sale. They had to be removed from the equation. She had to sabotage their machine. Rarity looked out of the window, and saw that the clock approached three A.M. ”Time to get underway…” She told herself and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She got into her black outfit and went into her sister’s room. She had to remember why she did this. She looked at the small marshmallow and cotton candy filly that laid curled up in her bed, soundly asleep. Somehow, the sight only made Rarity feel more ashamed. With great effort, she forced herself to step out of the door, put out the light in the house and sneak out in the darkness. There was nopony out, but she still felt jumpy. Every shadow seemed to turn into the accusing faces of her friends, or those of Flim and Flam, or a policepony coming to arrest her. She swallowed and started walking a little faster. Before long, she galloped through the streets in a panicked way. She hyperventilated and looked franticly left and right at the shadows that glared at her. Suddenly she skidded to a halt, and the tormenting shadows disappears. She had arrived at her destination. Flim and Flam’s Fast Fabulous Fashionable Finery. She slowly went up to the door, and picked out a bent barrette. She prayed to Celestia that picking locks worked the same in reality as it did in her novels. She bent to the task and found it did seem to work the same way. Most ponies would have trouble picking locks for the first time, but Rarity was used to delicate, exacting work after all those years as a seamstress. She was so caught up in her work that she did not see the gray Pegasus with veering eyes that watched her from the post office, a half eaten muffin in her hooves. The door clicked open, and Rarity entered. She took a few seconds to let her eyes adjust to the dim interior of the shop. She silently went to the door in the back, and found it open. She entered and found her quarry, The Splendidly-whatever-it-was-called-700. She took a breath to calm her nerves, and went up to the machine. ”Alright, where does it seem vulnerable?” She thought to herself. She felt a lot less nervous now when she was actually doing something, rather than just thinking. She slowly trotted around the machine, but did not find any weak spots. Cogs and gears made up most of the contraption, but they looked clunky and sturdy, and she did not have time nor skill to dismantle the whole thing. ”Maybe the wires…?” She thought slowly. The wires were located on top of the machine, so she would have to climb up to them as magic was to loud. Furthermore, the wires were protected by glass. Not the most subtile thing to break. Rarity decided to go with the wires, as she did not want to stay and think for long. She leaped as silently as she could onto one of the cogwheels, and slowly made her way to the top of the machine. She brought out a crowbar from her saddlebags and swung it against the glassed wire. The crash seemed to split the silence like a thunderclap. Rarity’s eyes grew larger in panic as she heard how loud it was. She laid herself flat against the machine, and prayed to Celestia that nopony had heard. She waited for minutes, but nopony came. She then remembered breathing again, and proceeded to break the next glassed wire. This time, she held her left hood behind it to muffle the sound. She had to bite her lip to prevent a moan of pain to escape her as slivers of glass borrowed into her tender hoof. She managed to destroy two more wires, even if a small whimper escaped her when she slammed the glass into her left hoof for the fourth time. She still had one wire left, but she knew she could not use her left hoof to nether swing the crowbar or muffle the sound. She silently crept closer to the wire, placed her right hoof behind the wire and levitated the crowbar up with her magic. She felt like an invisible palm had gripped her horn and dragged the magic out of her. With a confused and startled sound she saw her magic drain from her horn. It formed a radiant blue beam that arched through the air on its own accord until it struck a small metal stick in front of her. She followed the small spark that traveled down into the machine’s interior. She watched it fork out and enter a series of wires. Rarity had just enough time to be afraid. BRRRRZZZZZZAP! Author's Note I do feel bad for putting Rarity through that, but don't blame me, it was all Blueblood's fault (again). Anyway, a little shorter chapter this time, because I wanted to make a bit of a cliffhanger. Because I could . Chapter fiveRarity felt as if her brain had been replaced with a pile of nails, knives and saw blades. She groggily woke up by the sun shining down on her through a barred window. Wait, barred? Since when did she put bars in front of her windows? She had thought about doing it to Sweetie Belle’s, but… Suddenly, everything came rushing back to her. Her plan, the sabotage, the wires, the spark… the barred windows. Her eyes widened in realization and fear. She had been captured and placed in custody. She turned around towards the door with a great deal of pain and tried to get up from her bunk. She placed her left front hoof on the floor, but immediately fell as a red hot pain shot from it. She looked down and found it wrapped up in bandages. She laid in a heap at the floor in the arrest and began to hyperventilate. ”This is the end of the line,” She thought with wide eyes. ”I will never get the money now. My boutique is lost, my reputation in shambles, my friends will hate me…” She was returned to reality by the opening of the door. She looked up and saw the Mayor Mare look down on her. The mayor’s eyes seemed like razors and her glasses shone cold. Her face was a calm mask that hid most of, but not all, the disdain she felt. ”I knew Flim and Flam would lead to trouble, but I never expected this,” She said sternly. Rarity swallowed and tried to control her breathing. ”Rarity, Element of Generosity, turning criminal?” ”M-mayor…I-I’am sorry, I never wanted to-” Rarity began before she knew what she wanted to say. The mayor cut her of with a move of her hoof. ”I’am not interested in your excuses, Rarity. I am just informing you.” She said with an ice cold voice. ”Flim and Flam will come by, as soon as they have inspected the damages to their machine, to tell you of the charges. I should warn you that the evidence is rather clear…” ”W-what?” Rarity said with a small voice. She had not thought of the fact that she was caught red hoofed tying to sabotage Flim and Flam. Of course there would be a punishment. ”W-what will happen to me?” She did not want to know the answer. ”Depends on the charges,” The mayor explained in the same ice cold voice. ”Probably a fine or some time in jail.” Rarity felt as if a trapdoor opened beneath her. Jail. She, Rarity, would go to jail? She started to sob quietly on the floor. She had never thought this could ever happen to her. Jail was for bad ponies, and Rarity was not a bad pony. Right? Sure, she had crossed the line, but she never had a choice. That did not make her a bad pony, did it? What would happen to Sweetie Belle? What would she think when she found out? Would her friends come and visit her? Or would they just deny that they ever knew a criminal like her? What would happen to her boutique? Would Celestia banish her? Perhaps Flim and Flam charged her with attempted murder? Perhaps she would be encased in stone like Discord had been, or trapped beneath a glacier like Sombra? Rarity continued to picture nightmare scenarios for an undefined amount of time. She felt pretty sure she would be imprisoned in Tartarus together with Tirek when she heard the door open again. She looked up apathetically, and saw her five friends coming through the door. None of them looked angry, they just looked confused and sad. Somehow, that only made Rarity feel worse than if they had yelled at her. ”Rarity?” Twilight asked carefully, ”How… how do you feel?” Rarity looked down as the tears began to fell again. She took one quivering breath before answering. ”W-what could I say? I feel awful,” She said with a thick voice that steadily rose to a wail. ”I will never regain t-trust in Ponyville again, I-I will be p-put in j-jail, and m-my sister will be out of a h-home… my life is in tatters!” ”Shh, calm down, Rarity.” Twilight silently said to her friend as she draped a wing around her. ”Flim and Flam have kept… this… a secret, so your reputation is unhurt.” ”Yea, and we will look after Sweetie Belle for you,” Pinkie Pie said with a small smile. ”Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” ”Thanks…” Rarity said sullenly as she looked at he floor. ”Thanks for… caring about some pony like me…” ”Ye’r our friend Rarity, an’ nothin’ will change that,” Applejack said softly. ”Nothin' will ever change that.” Rarity sat on the floor and cried for a little while, lost in thought. When she looked up, her voice had stabilized somewhat. ”W-where are… they? Shouldn’t they be here?” Twilight got something worried in her eyes for the fraction of a second. ”They are here… they sent us to collect you…” Rarity gathered what little courage she had before she spoke. ”W-well then, let’s… let’s get this over with…” She tried to get up, only to cry out when she put her weight on her injured hoof. ”Let me help,” Fluttershy said softly as she put Rarity’s hoof over her shoulder. Together the six ponies marched out of the cell, and into a small meeting room. Across a table sat Flam, along with Mayor Mare and, for whatever reason, Derpy Hooves. Flim paced nervously behind them. They all looked up when the friends entered the room. Rarity was surprised by the looks she got. Flim looked so nervous he had trouble breathing. The Mayor tried to give Rarity a disappointed glance, but seeing her with her friends made it come out a sad grimace. Derpy looked confused and sad, and Flam’s face was an unreadable mask, set in stone. He eyed Rarity with a completely neutral look. ”Well, everypony, let’s get underway,” Mayor Mare said with a mature tone. ”I’m afraid I must ask you to leave,” She nodded towards Rarity’s friends. They helped Rarity sit down on the chair across Flam, and began to slowly leave. Twilight stayed with Rarity the longest, a hoof on her shoulder. ”Please, Mayor,” She said with a pleading voice. ”Let me stay. I wont say a word, just please let me stay…” ”Afraid not, Princess Sparkle, ” Mayor mare said curtly. ”Princess or not, you are still bound by Equestrian law.” Twilight made sure not to show how nervous she was to Rarity, flashed a reassuring smile and slowly left the room. As the door closed, Rarity felt like she would retch. She looked at Flam, trying to deduce anything from his face. She failed. ”So, Mr. Flim and Flam,” Mayor mare began with an official voice. ”You are requested to share the charges against miss Rarity and present a testimony to begin prosecution.” ”Esteemed Mayor,” Flim said with a nervous, but hard, voice. ”I must emphasize that I must not be here.” The mayor heightened an eyebrow and beaconed to Flim to continue. ”I signed over my part of Flim and Flam’s Fast Fabulous Fashionable Finery to my brother,” Flim said with a more secure voice. ”He is the only one who was wronged in this affair. I request to leave.” The mayor looked surprised, but recovered quickly. ”Very well, Mr. Flim. You may leave.” Flim did not have to be told twice. He bolted for the door with a speed that would have yielded an invitation to the Wonderbolts, had they been there to see it. When he left the room, he faced ten eyes with varying degrees of suspicion. ”Are… are y’all done?” Applejack asked in a nervous voice. Flim shook his head. ”I… This is not my place,” he declared while looking at Applejack with apologetic eyes. ”I never cared for the store, really. I just wanted to get a chance to make things up to you, Applejack. Rarity could have burnt it for all I care.” ”What are you talking about, you creep?” Rainbow Dash said as she glared at the Unicorn. ”And why are you staring at Applejack for.” ”He is mah special somepony, ye big dope,” Applejack said unceremoniously. The look on Rainbow Dash’s face was priceless. ”Maybe ye shouldn't spend two weeks at flight camp without writing…” ”Hey, I tried to write-” Rainbow Dash began before she was cut of by Applejack. ”And yer brother? Did… did he care?” Applejack asked carefully. ”Maybe,” Flim admitted. ”But I feel that he was wronged more by Rarity’s actions than I was, so he should decide her fate alone.” ”An’ why is that?” Applejack asked, now more nervous. She had thought that Flim might be merciful on Rarity, for the sake of them being together. ”My brother helped Rarity in any way he could. Every evening he went to her, even though she was his competitor. He tried to help, and this is how she repaid him,” Flim’s voice had changed into something that Applejack had never heard before; anger. ”I may not know much about friendship yet, but I know that is not how you repay somepony who tries to help you.” The ponies stood silent, for they knew Flim was right in a way. They waited nervously. ***** Left in the room, Rarity saw Flim disappearing, leaving her with Mayor Mare, Flam and Derpy. ”So, Rarity,” Flam said neutrally. ”I must say I was surprised when I woke up and saw my brother’s machine ruined…” Rarity fidgeted under his neutral gaze. Somehow, his complete lack of emotion frightened Rarity more than him screaming at her. It was as if she listened to a speaking rock, it was impossible to make out any intentions, and there was no emotions to speak to. ”I really did not quite believe Mayor Mare when she said it was you who had broke into our humble store,” Flam continued with the same frightening neutrality. He placed two papers in front of him, both upside down. ”I just have one little question before I present my charges,” He said calmly. Rarity looked up through tear-filled eyes. His face still was an unreadable mask. ”Is there anything you want to say to me?” The words stuck in Rarity’s throat. They were so many they could not all be voiced. ”YES!” She screamed, far louder than she had imagined. ”YES, I’M SORRY, I NEVER WANTED TO, BUT I HAD TO, I PROMISED SWEETIE BELLE! I AM SORRY I DESTROYED YOUR MACHINE AFTER ALL YOU DID FOR ME! I AM SORRY, PLAEEEEZE, I AM SORRY-Y-Y!” Any further words were lost in the torrent of tears and hiccups that followed, since Rarity pretty much broke down. Mayor Mare and Derpy looked at her, confused as to what they should do. Flam kept his face neutral. Flam took his hoof from one of the papers and slid it upside down towards Rarity. ”These are the charges, and the penalty I will press for. Mayor mare, Ditzy, I want a word with you alone.” With that, Flam rose from the chair and went out the door. He ignored the gathered friends and beaconed his brother to follow. Flim, Flam Ditzy and Mayor Mare left the building, but nopony cared. They all barraged into the meeting room. Rarity was laying in a shaking wreck of a Unicorn, crying uncontrollably into the wooden table. She looked up at her friends when they entered. Her expression was enough to make Tirek feel sorry. Her eyes were red and the carefully applied makeup was smeared all over her face. The tears made white lines appear under her eyes as they washed away the mascara. Combine this with the weird hair she had gotten due to the electric shock, and the bandaged hoof, and the result was pitiful. The friends hurried forward to comfort her in any way they could. ”Rarity, what happened?” Twilight asked. ”Ehm… what did he want?” Fluttershy asked silently. ”I will kick his flank from here to Appleloosa!” Rainbow Dash declared. She was quickly restrained by Pinkie Pie and Applejack. ”Rarity, please tell us,” Twilight said softly to her sobbing friend. Rarity moved a shaking hoof towards the still turned paper. Twilight turned it. Five ponies looked dumbfounded at the charges. The paper was blank. ”Rarity…” Twilight said happily. ”You are free.” ***** ”Mayor Mare, Ditzy,” Flam said neutrally. ”I want you to forget that this ever happened. There will be no persecution, and Rarity will never hear a word about this again. And Ditzy, perhaps you could stop with those midnight muffins?” The Mayor looked surprised, but a smile shone on her lips nonetheless. ”Done, Mr. Flam. I have already forgotten.” ”Me too,” Derpy said with hanging head. ”But can’t I have my midnight muffin in the bathroom, at least? No windows…” Flam allowed a smile to break his neutral face. ”Alright, midnight muffin will be moved to the bathroom… that was a sentence I never thought I would say.” Flim and Flam started walking away from Town Hall together. They walked in silence for a while, before Flam broke it. ”So, brother, how long will you need to repair the machine?” ”I’m afraid It won’t be ready before the summer sun celebration,” Flim answered with an apologetic tone and happy smile. ”Those wires are not the easiest thing to fix… But once I do, what will happen to her then?” Flam chuckled. ”I will make sure her store survives, or my name isn’t Flam. Actually… I may or may not have taken a liking to that mare… in more than one way….” Flim whistled. ”Well, brother, I really think there is opportunity for you in that community…” Flam smiled at his brother’s encouragement, and threw the other paper he had placed in front of Rarity in a trashcan. The words ”Prosecution”, ”property damage" and ”breaking and entering” could be seen on it. The End…? Author's Note So... that was my first story. Please tell me what you think. Also, I will not promise a sequel, but it is fully possible... Thank you for your time. //Slivermyr
Chapter oneChapter one Rarity was trotting down Mane Street of Ponyville, humming a happy tune for herself. The sun beat down on the buildings. Normally, it would be too hot for comfort, but, thankfully, a refreshing breeze blew through Ponyville, creating just the right temperature. Rarity and Sweetie Belle were going to buy some groceries down at the square surrounding the town hall, and get some pastries from Sugarcube Corner. Rarity smiled inwardly as she thought of how happy her sister would be as she tried to choose between the strawberry cupcakes and the banana eclair. The two Unicorns trotted past Town Hall, and went to study the various stalls offering freshly picked vegetables and fruit. ”Rarity, can we buy cherries too?” Sweetie Belle asked with a hopeful tone. Rarity thought for a second. Cherries were one of the more expensive commodities Ponyville market had to offer, but both Rarity and her sister had always loved them. Sweetie Belle used her puppy eyes, and Rarity resigned with a smile. ”Of course we can,” She said. ”Why wont you go over there and pick out the best ones? I will be right with you.” ”Okay!” Sweetie Belle skipped away towards the inviting stall. Rarity saw a cream colored Earth Pony with cherry red hair greet her sister. ”Alright, about those radishes…” Rarity said to herself as she went over to the other end of the market. Rarity collected a great variety of groceries, and the cherries, and started to walk home again, her sister in tow. As she did, she passed just outside the entrance to Town Hall. She heard the two doors open, and two sets of hooves step out. ”I hope, for all our sakes, that what you say is true,” Mayor Mare’s stern voice came from the door. ”Don’t you worry, esteemed mayor,” came a peppy voice, filled of confidence and swagger. Rarity felt that she had heard it before, but could not place it. She looked away decisively. She would not snoop in anypony else’s business. ”My brother and I really have turned over a new leaf, mayor. Just you wait and see, we will bring riches to this community yet, you have our word on that,” said a nearly identical, but slightly more mature voice. ”Well, we shall see,” Mayor Mare said. ”I will keep an eye on you two… but if what you say is true, then I wish you good luck.” Rarity heard the doors close as she trotted away. She scolded herself. ”You really shouldn’t be eavesdropping Rarity,” she thought to herself. ”You have nothing to do with whoever it was.” ”Rarity,” Sweetie Belle peeped beside her, tugging at her saddlebags to get her attention, ”Rarity, shouldn’t we be going home? This is the wrong way.” ”Not at all dear, we are going in just the right direction,” Rarity said with a secretive smile. Sweetie Belle recognized that smile, it always meant good news. Literarily good, as in good tasting, news. She perked up as she put two and two together. He smile practically blinded Rarity, who smiled back and nodded. Rarity trotted in a dignified, ladylike fashion, while Sweetie Belle bounced beside her, the rest of the way to Sugarcube Corner, mighty citadel everything delicious, and stronghold of all things party related. There were a couple of ponies ahead in line when they entered. Sweetie Belle zoomed up to the counter and started looking at the wonderful promises of delight at display. Rarity got her turn after a couple of minutes and ordered a blackberry muffin and tea at the advice of Derpy Hooves, who stood behind her in line. ”So, Sweetie Belle, have you decided?” She asked the spellbound filly. ”Ooh, ehm…” Sweetie Belle tried to decide, but could not. ”I will have a mazarin,” She blurted. She had never had that before, but whatever one of the Cake’s had touched was always delicious. ”Certainly,” Mrs. Cake smiled. ”That will be fifteen bits, or ten for you, Rarity.” ”Indeed not,” Rarity said with a friendly smile and produced fifteen bits. She gathered the pastries and went towards one of the window tables. Sweetie Belle looked at her mazarin all the while, as if it might disappear if she let it out of sight. The two sisters sat down and started eating, slowly in order to maximize the enjoyment. ”Soo,” Sweetie Belle asked when Rarity had finished, ”are we celebrating something?” ”We are,” Rarity said with a relaxed voice as she put the teacup down. ”I have just finished a large order for Sapphire Shores, so I actually have some free time for once.” Whatever reply Sweetie Belle might have planned was lost on Rarity as the door open and she heard the voice from before. ”Well I say, brother of mine, that went well. This will be a fresh start for us.” ”Right you are, dear brother, third time’s the charm. I can clearly feel that there is opportunity in this community yet.” Rarity almost choked on the tea as the pieces fell together in her mind. The words ”opportunity” and ”community” in one sentence could only mean… She turned around quickly and felt her neck protesting. Sure enough. In the line, talking to one another, were Flim and Flam, traveling con artists and Trouble nonpareil. They were still dressed in the same horrible striped vests, straw hats and neckties. The only thing that separated them was Flam’s mustache and slightly different pattern in his peppermint mane. ”Rarity, what is it?” Sweetie Belle asked, and followed Rarity’s look towards the two Unicorns. ”Who are those ponies?” She asked curiously. ”Ehm, nopony I know very well, I just was surprised, is all,” Rarity said quickly as her mind processed this new information. She had to warn Applejack. ”How come?” Sweetie Belle asked, even more curious. ”Well, I have not seen them around here in a long time,” Rarity said as she looked away and took a sip of tea. Sweetie Belle heard that her sister did not feel like discussing the two Unicorns, so she dropped the subject. ”You done, Sweetie?” Rarity asked, She wanted to leave before Flim and Flam spotted her. ”No,” Sweetie Belle said indignantly, and pointed at her half Mazarin. ”Hello, Rarity!” A peppy voice that filled Rarity with tired annoyance reached her ears. Flim and Flam had taken the table beside her. They each had an apple fritter in front of them and two cups. Flim drank coffee and Flam tea, just like Rarity. ”Fancy meeting you here, how lucky,” Flam said with a beaming, perl white smile. ”Flim and Flam,” Rarity said with a cold voice. ”How… unexpected,” ”Not at all,” Flim answered, as he wiped some coffee from his lip. ”My brother and I just got the Mayor’s blessing to start up a small business here in Ponyville, so I dare say we will see each other quite a lot.” ”Did you now?” Rarity’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. ”Best of luck to you. I think you will find that few ’communities’, as you would say, value honesty and fairness as much as Ponyville.” ”That is our hope,” Flam said confidently. ”We have turned over a new leaf, my brother and I, and where better to start our new life than here?” ”I suppose that’s true,” Rarity said courteously. She summoned up the charming part of her persona. ”Are you perhaps planning on selling cider again? I should warn you, that business is tough,” She said with a cute voice as she glared at the two brothers. ”Not at all, Rarity,” Flam said, ignoring her glare. ”We have expanded our repertoire, as it where. We are actually-” ”Stop, stop, stop, brother, or you will ruin the surprise,” Flim scolded with a friendly smile. ”You, and everypony else, will learn just what we will sell in just a couple of days.” ”Rarity, I am done,” Sweetie Belle said. All the almonds were gone from her Mazarin, but most of the crust was left. Rarity would normally have had quite a few things to say about picking food apart, but her mind was on other things right now. ”Well, Rarity, It was nice catching up, but I presume we will meet each other again soon?” Flam said with a hopeful voice. ”Maybe, I have a very hectic time in front of me, lots of orders and-” Rarity began. ”But Rarity, you just said that you were free of work now,” Sweetie Belle pointed out, proud that she could remind her sister of the happy news, that she somehow had forgotten. ”Oh, look at the sun,” Rarity said quickly while she shot a murderous glance in her sister’s direction. ”I simply must get going. Have a nice afternoon!” Rarity grabbed Sweetie Belle’s hoof and dragged the confused filly towards the door. Leaving two amused Trouble Nonpareil behind. The two sisters returned home to Carousel Boutique. Rarity went into the round building, but Sweetie Belle trotted of to Sweet Apple Acres, to a secluded part of the orchards where the fate of many a pony was dictated, a place few knew existed, and even fewer could access. The mythical Cutie Mark Crusader’s Clubhouse. She saw Scootaloo and Applebloom waiting for her outside the fabled treehouse. ”There you are, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo said in a relieved voice. ”Come, let’s plan our next crusade!” The three fillies went inside the clubhouse. Applebloom went behind the small dais from which the Cutie Mark Crusaders were governed. She banged the gavel and the meeting was opened. Now, the fate of Equestria was about to be decided (sort of). ”Applebloom, have you looked into the prospect of a firefighter cutie mark?” Sweetie Belle asked with an important tone. Applebloom nodded with a proud smile. ”We are goin’ ta get our firefighter cutie marks tomorrow, Cutie Mark Crusaders! Mah sis is going ta raze an old barn in the afternoon, so we can use that if we are early!” ”Your sister actually agreed to let us burn it?” Scootaloo asked with excitement. Her eyes sparkled. ”Nah, Ah haven’t asked her,” Applebloom fidgeted a little. ”But Ah figured that if the barn is going ta be razed anyway it doesn’t matter if we burn it, right? Besides, we will put out the fire, so we wont really burn it.” Sweetie Belle thought about that. ”Makes sense,” she said chirpily. ”Who could complain if we just put it out when we are done, and get our cutie marks?” The crusaders proceeded to plan a couple more activities for the rest of the weekend, just in case firefighter, for whatever reason, did not work. The agreed to try gardening, cider making (Applebloom’s idea), punch connoisseurs (Sweetie Belle’s idea), firework makers… ”You mean pyrotechnists?” Sweetie Belle corrected. ”Whatever, ponies who makes fireworks,” Scootaloo said with a somewhat annoyed voice. ”Pyrotechnists,” Sweetie Belle said. ”Whatever.” Rarity rose early next morning, for she wanted to warn Applejack about Trouble Nonpareil coming back to Ponyville. She took a warm, refreshing shower, dried her mane slowly and went downstairs to eat breakfast. The dishes told her that Sweetie Belle had risen very early today. After a nutritious breakfast of hay, lettuce and radishes with a cup of tea, drunk slowly, she brushed her teeth. She proceeded to brush her mane, apply just the right amount of makeup to prefect her already dazzling look. After that she went to a closet and brought out a four slim boots. She was not going to get her hooves dirty, and Sweet Apple Acres was not the cleanest place. She started to trot over to her destination, and reached it in fifteen minutes. She knocked on the door and was greeted by Applejack, who gave her a tired look. ”Perfect timin’ Rarity,” She said gloomily. ”Ah will need all the help Ah can get if Ah’m ta get through this,” She said with a voice that matched her look. ”Whatever do you mean?” Rarity said with a raised eyebrow. Applejack worked pretty much 24/7, so why was she so tired? ”Just come along, would ya?” The orange mare said. Confused, Rarity went with her friend to the living room, where the answer, or, rather answers, as to why Applejack was tired sat in the sofa. Trouble nonpareil apparently were early risers too. Flim and Flam sat with nervous looks and one cup of tea and coffee respectively in front of them. Across the table they were being glared at by Granny Smith and Big Mac. ”In case of me tryn’ to buck them through the wall, restrain me,” Applejack whispered as she rejoined her family. Rarity stood still in the doorway and looked at the scene before her. ”This looks like the beginning of a bad joke…” She thought dryly. ”So, what do ye scoundrels want?” Granny Smith asked in a somewhat hostile tone. The brothers fidgeted under her gaze. Gone were their confident smiles and perky demeanor. Rarity noted that there was uneasiness in their faces, but what’s more: shame. ”Ahh, w-we…” Flim began nervously. ”We have come to apologize for all we done, Mrs. Smith,” Flam said with a deflated voice. ”We wanted to… to ask you for a third chance…” Applejack looked at the two Unicorns with shock. Those words, coming from those two, was as easy to picture as a goodhearted King Sombra handing out free candy and apple fritters while singing the ”My little Pony™” theme. Then her face hardened. ”And why would we give y’all that?” She said with a dark voice. ”Y’all have done nothing but cause problem for may family an’ me. Why should we give y’all yet another chance to-” ”Hush, Applejack,” Granny Smith said sharply. She turned back to Flam. ”Go on, why do y’all want a third chance here? There are other towns like Ponyville, why here?” ”We have turned over a new leaf,” Flam said with a serious look. ”We want to prove to everypony that we are not… con artists… any longer, but honest workers.” ”Your family is the one who has been hit the hardest by us,” Flim blurted with an ashamed look. ”We… want to make amends here, we want to prove to everypony, ourselves included, that we have changed.” Granny smith cracked a small smile. ”Well Ah’ll be, y’all might not be such scoundrels after all,” she said with an appreciative look at the brothers. ”But, granny,” Applejack said uncertainly, ”These’ere two nearly ruined us the first time, an’ Celestia knows what would have happened with their Tonic scheme.” ”We will make amends any way we can Applejack, just… let us try,” Flim said. ”Will you give us two this last chance? Please…” Applejack’s eyes narrowed. She had fallen for these silver-tongued catalans before, and did not trust them. On the other hoof, they seemed sincere this time, and Applejack prided herself on being able to detect lies, being the Element of Honesty. ”What do you think, Big Mac?” She said slowly. ”Do ya trust them?” ”Nope,” came the immediate reply. ”But don’t ye think they should be given a chance to make things right?” Granny Smith asked. ”Eeyup,” Big Mac answered after a second. ”Then here’s whats gonna happen,” Granny smith said with a decisive voice. ”Ehm,” Flam interrupted sheepishly, ”I know it’s not my place or anything, but perhaps you should put out the stove, I can smell the smoke all the way over here.” Granny Smith, looked at Flam with uncomprehending eyes. ”The stove’s not burnin’…” ”Hang on Granny, Ah smell it to… but then where is it coming from?” Applejack said as she sniffed the air. ”Maybe outside?” Rarity suggested. Flim and Flam jumped in surprise. They had not seen her enter. Applejack trotted up to a window and looked over the orchards. Her eyes widened in shock. ”The old barn… IT’S BURNIN’!” She yelled and dashed for the door, followed closely by Big Mac. Flim and Flam looked at each other for a second and dashed away after the two siblings along with Rarity. Granny Smith followed as fast as she could, though that was not very fast. The five ponies found the barn burning brightly. The flames licked the blue morning sky. They stood mesmerized for a few seconds. ”Water!” Applejack screamed to her brother. ”The well!” She and her brother went to a nearby draw well and started hoisting up water. Rarity rushed to help with her magic, but Flim stood motionless and Flam looked sharply at the fire, as if he was analyzing it. He galloped of away from the well to the other side of the burning barn, his brother following closely. ”What are those two up to?” Rarity thought bitterly as she followed them. As she came around the barn, she saw Flim and Flam furiously blasting the trunk of an apple tree with their bright green magic. ”And what the hay are you think you are doing?!” She screamed indignantly as she galloped towards them. Normally, she would never dream of even considering to get close to use such language, but now she did not care. ”Help us, Rarity!” Flam said with a slightly panicked voice. ”If the fire spreads to the trees, then we will never stop it!” Rarity skidded to a halt and looked up. He heart froze. The branches hung perilously close to the burning barn. Slightest little wind would set the tree ablaze. She readied her magic and shot it straight at the trunk. It snapped. ”This is taking too long…” Flim said angrily. ”There must be a faster way…” ”Idea!” Rarity said with a bright voice. She galloped away and came up to Applejack. ”Applejack, you must help, you must buck the trees down, hurry!” She said in a breathless voice. ”The fire will spread, and nopony will stop it!” Realization dawned upon the orange mare. ”Ponyfeathers, ye’r right!” She said silently. ”Big Mac, help me here!” The two Apple siblings started to buck down the trees threatened by the fire, aided by Flim, Flam and Rarity. When they were done, the barn was more or less burnt down already, so they decided to let the fire die on its own. Soon there was only a pile of smoldering ash left. The five ponies panted and looked at black mark. Applejack turned to Rarity, a smile on her face. ”Thank’s a bunch, Rarity. Without you, there is no tellin’ what might have happened,” Applejack said warmly. ”Actually,” Rarity said with a breathless voice as she looked at her dirty boots, ”It was Flim and Flam who realized what would happen…” Applejack turned to the two brothers, who both smiled sheepishly and proudly at the same time. ”Ah… Ah never expected y’all ta help save Sweet Apple Acres,” Applejack said flatly. ”An honest worker helps another one, eh?” Flim said with a warm smile. ”Ah am a mare of actions over words,” Applejack explained. ” So Ah’ll believe y’all have ’turned over a new leaf’ when Ah see it. You have helped me, but Ah wonder if ye’ll help everypony else y’all have wronged. But for now, Ah’m willin’ ta give y’all the benefit of the doubt.” Applejack smiled at her two former enemies. ”Ah truly hope ya’re sincere,” She said. ”Don’t you worry, Honest Applejack,” Flim said confidently. ”Come to our little abode beside the post office tomorrow, and you will get your proof.” ”And this time we will not hurt your business. Promise,” Flam continued. ”Glad ta hear it,” Applejack said. ”Be seein’ y’all around.” ”I look forward to it,” Flim said. He and his brother started to walk down to Ponyville, a spring in their steps. Rarity heard them whistling their signature song. ”Well we got opportunity in this merry community…” she hummed and knew she would have that song stuck in her head on constant repeat for the next few days. ”Ehm, sis?” A small voice peeped from underneath a couple of bushes. Applejack and Rarity saw three familiar fillies covering under the branches. Their manes seemed to be slightly scorched. ”We’ve got somethin’ ta tell ye…” As Flim and Flam whistled, they suddenly heard a roar from the orchards behind them. They both broke into gallop. They did not know what terrible creature could make a sound like that, but they knew they should put as long a distance between it and themselves as possible. For that matter, they had things to take care of… Author's Note I have edited this myself, so it is fully possible that I have missed a few things. Please point out whatever mistakes you find.
Chapter twoRarity had received the small envelope in with the mail when she got home. After having banished her sister to eternal damnation (a.k.a grounded her for a week), she had opened it and found a note proclaiming in brazen colors and over-the-top letters that the grand opening of ”Flim and Flam’s Fast Fabulous Fashionable Finery” would be held tomorrow at noon. The note was complete with the grinning faces of the two brothers. Rarity had decided to attend. As far as she could tell, they seemed sincere, and in that case she would be there to show her support. She had a feeling most of Ponyville would not be to forgiving on them… Rarity woke up the next morning and checked her mailbox. Not that she expected to much on a Sunday, but some pony might place an order. ”Nothing today…” Rarity said with a relieved sigh. ”Good, then I could make a few more dresses for the windows.” After her morning routine, she decided to get a head start at the dressmaking. She was so caught up in her work that she nearly forget that she was supposed to be down by the post office. ”Might as well check the mail there as too, seeing how Ponyville’s postal service as somewhat… unreliable,” Rarity thought for herself as she trotted down the street. She turned in on a smaller street down to the post office and noted a crowd of ponies gathered in front of a small building. Rarity did not have to look twice at the establishment to know she had come to the right place. The shop was painted in a yellow-green color, and had a peppermint roof. Outside over the door hung a freshly made sign shaped like the brothers' two faces in profile. The place looked like cross between circus tent and inn. Outside there was a small pile of boxes. As rarity neared the establishment, she could easily hear that most of the ponies did not seem to happy about the place. Rarity saw Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Twilight standing together at the side of the crowd, waiting. Rarity trotted up to them. ”Hello, Rarity,” Twilight said happily. ”So you got their… invitation too, huh?” ”Seems like all of Ponyville got one,” Pinkie Pie said happily. ”Maybe they will sell sugar and cotton candy and frosting and lollipops and frozen yoghurt and cotton candy and…” Pinkie went of into Lalaland. ”One can hope’ Ah guess…” Applejack said with a laugh. ”You does not seem to unhappy about this Applejack,” Twilight noted with an appreciative smile. ”Nah, they actually came ta mah farm yesterday an’ apologized for all they did,” Applejack said with a smile. ”Huh?” Twilight said with a surprised expression. ”I did not expect that…” ”Me nether, Twi, but-” Applejack suddenly went quiet, along with everypony else. She looked around and saw Flam stand on the boxes. She was surprised when she saw his face. She had expected the brothers to do a typical upbeat song and dance while they proceeded to explain to everypony why they could not live another day without whatever they were trying to sell. She was wrong, apparently. Flam stood up on the boxes and looked down on the ponies below him with regret. ”Everypony…” He said loudly, but without his normal peppiness. ”I recognize most of you, and I have no doubt that most of you came here to gloat, and my brother and I would most certainly deserve it.” ”Well, at least he is being honest?” Applejack whispered to Rarity. ”My brother and I wanted to return to this town and make amends for all that we did to you,” Flam continued with a solemn voice. He was met with an annoyed murmur. ”Of course, I know that you will not believe me, not after what I did, and nothing I say will change that. So, in order to, if not earn back your trust, at least clean our consciences, my brother and I have decided to return every last bit we scammed from you with our tonic scheme.” Flam gestured to a small seat beside the boxes, where his brother sat with a large bag of bits and a ledger beside him. ”My brother will return all what you paid back then,” Flam said with a small smile. ”I… I am truly sorry… for what we did.” Flam bowed down on top of the boxes. The crowd was silent. Then Applejack started to stomp her hooves in applause. This was exactly what she had wanted to see. Two ponies who truly had realized the error of their ways and who did not stop with mere talking to make amends. Soon her friends joined her applause, and then everypony else. Flim and Flam both let smiles of relief spread over their faces. ”Come, everypony, and get your money back!” Flim shouted when the mass has silenced somewhat. Most of the crowd formed a small line by Flim, who asked for the name of the pony in front, looked it up in the ledger and distributed the appropriate amount of bits. ”Hey, Flam!” Applejack shouted up to the salespony. ”What are y’all going to sell now?” ”I am glad you asked, Honest Applejack,” Flam said with a grin. ”Those who are interested in looking at our latest and greatest invention, please come with me!” He said to nopony in particular. Most ponies picked up on that offer. The populace of Ponyville was a forgiving lot, and everypony had been amazed by these brother’s cider machine. To them it was something alien and wonderful, like something from another world. A machine that could make cider itself? While the two Unicorns just relaxed on a couch? That was incredible, and this machine was supposed to be even more incredible? Was that even possible? The group of ponies went into the shop behind Flam. Twilight and her friends was in the front. They came into a room that looked a little like Rarity’s boutique, only not nearly as lavish. The small space had a couple of ponyquins dressed in near identical shirts, along with a whole wall with various bolts of fabrics behind a counter. Flam guided the ponies behind the counter to a small door and entered a room behind the main shopping area. The expectant ponies looked in awe at the giant monstrosity of metal and glass that took up most of the space. Applejack could not describe what she saw, but she had to agree it looked even more impressive than the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 had, and that was saying a lot. ”Now, I could give you all a long explanation about the beauty of our new ’Splendidly Swift Snipping Cybernetic Sewingmachine 700,’ but, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.” Flam said as soon as he stood in front of the machine. Applejack noticed that his salespony voice was back. ”Does anypony here want some new pair of clothes? Maybe a new shirt for the upcoming Summer Sun Celebration?” Nopony moved. ”Really,” Flam said with a cocky smile ”Nopony here needs new clothes?” ”As a matter of fact, Ah do!” Applejack said loudly, earning an an appreciative look from Flam. ”How lovely!” Flim, who had entered the small room along with some more ponies, said. ”Will you please present a couple of friends who can vouch that we have not bribed you in any way?” ”I will vouch for that!” Twilight said. Flam whistled theatrically. ”The Princess of Friendship, huh?” ”Well, I cannot ask for a better witness,” Flim continued. ”So, Applejack, if you would please come with me.” Flam and Flam left the room, the crowd in tow, and brought Applejack to the main part of the store. ”Please select your fabric,” Flam gestured towards the multitude of colors behind him. ”Ah don’t know…” Applejack said sheepishly. ”Somethin’ durable, like working clothes should be.” ”You got it,” Flim said as he levitated a bolt of brownish fabric down. He presented it to Applejack, who smiled when she felt it. It was rather thick, and not to beautiful of a color, but she could feel it was durable. Just what she would need for Autumn. ”This is fine,” She said. ”Now then, would you please stand over here?” Flim gestured to a part of the wall devoid of fabric, and instead filled with various markings. Applejack obediently stood by the wall. Flam looked at how the markings fell around Applejack, and scribbled something down on a small note. ”Thank you, Honest Applejack. Now the fun can begin,” Flim said. He caught the bolt of fabric in his magic and went into the door again. The crowd of ponies followed, excited to see what the machine would do. ”Here you go, brother of mine,” Flim said and levitated the bolt of fabric over to his brother, who quickly started to unfurl it and thread it onto the machine. Flim in the meantime pulled down levers and pressed some buttons while looking at his notes. ”There, all done,” Flim said confidently. ”One moment… there,” Flam said. ”Ready Flim?” ”Ready Flam!” ”Let’s bing bang zam!” The two brothers shoot two bolts of magic at an iron stick, and the magic started to flow into the engine. Green sparks began to flow through the glassed wires on top of the machine, and then the cogwheels started to spin. The bolts of fabric were rolled up, cut, and fed to different parts of the contraption. The iron monstrosity chugged and whirled for almost ten minutes, mesmerizing everypony with it’s confusing gears and shifting cogs. There was always something new to look on, a spinning cogwheel, an electric jolt flowing through the glassed wires… It was impossible to look away, the contraption seemed out of this world with it’s sounds, sparks and gears. How was it possible that a machine could do all of this? As the ponies wondered, the machine abruptly stopped. The ponies looked at each other with surprised glances. ”And, voilá!” Flim said as he proudly presented an overall made of the fabric. He gave it to Applejack, who immediately took it on. ”There you have it, everypony!” Flam said with his salespony voice. ”This is Flim and Flam’s Fast Fabulous Fashionable Finery. New clothes in ten minutes in any fabric you want!” ”Not to mention the price!” Flim added. ”Only fifty bits for a shirt, up to one five hundred for a complete suit with tie! ”Incredible!” Flam said with an over-the-top voice. ”Invaluable!” Flim continued. ”Invincible!” ”Insurmountable!” ”What more can you wish for!” They both finished together as a blast of confetti appeared behind them from nowhere in particular. ”We open tomorrow, and hope to see some of you then!” Flim and Flam said in unison and made a sweeping bow. All ponies except for one stomped their applause. Clothing was something that always had been expensive, for it was time consuming and hard to produce. But suddenly, everypony could feel like the upper class of Canterlot, prancing around in their elaborate outfits. Not to mention the spectacle. It was wonderful to see the machine work. It was just so… strange. It held a promise of mystery and elegance within it. To own a piece of clothing made by the machine was, as Rainbow Dash would have put it, awesome. Rarity left the small house as in a dream. To her it looked like a nightmare. She finally understood how Applejack had felt when the brothers came with their cider machine. This was exactly the same for her. That machine had produced an overall of what seemed decent quality in a fraction of the time it took her to make a similar one. And the price. ”How can they be so cheap?” Rarity thought with distress as she fought the tears down ”Only the fabric should cost more that that…?” Only the fabric. Rarity thought. That was it. The brothers did not pay anything else. They did not have to pay anypony for working for them, which normally would make it take longer time for them to produce anything. But their machine worked faster than anypony could. ”Well, Rarity,” She said to herself with steel in her voice. ”I will show them that there are some things that machines cannot do, no matter how sophisticated they are. Dresses, like cider, are made by love and integrity.” The days passed slowly and became weeks. After two of those, Rarity was forced to admit that she would be in real trouble soon. She saw more and more ponies wearing Flim and Flam’s clothing with each passing day, even those who had never bought anything from her. Even Derpy Hooves now had a blueish vest to go with her mail cap. ”Whatever shall I do?” The alabaster mare said with a ponderous and stressed voice to her pillow. ”I am a seamstress, not an economist,” She said to herself in her pity, and discovered yet another frightening fact. She was no economist. She did not know how to compete in her work. Normally she would not be afraid, she knew her skill with the sewing machine, but this was not a battle skill would win. Flim and Flam had something Rarity had not: they knew how to make ponies buy their stuff; they were salesponies through and through. Rarity was just a seamstress. As Rarity got up the next morning she was greeted with a couple of good news. First of all, Sweetie Belle had left a note saying something about a field-plowing cutie mark over at Sweet Apple Acres. Normally, Rarity would not approve of such an activity, but the circumstances were not normal. She needed time to think. Rarity was just about to get herself some breakfast when she heard a familiar crash to the wall. ”Mailmail!” Derpy Hooves said happily as she peeked her head through the door. She wore her new uniform. ”My stars, Der- Ehm, Ditzy, how do you feel?” Rarity asks with concern. She still did not think it was healthy to smack your head in a wall more than ten times a day. ”Here is your mail!” The mailmare said with veering eyes and handed Rarity two envelopes. One contained an order from Fancypants for a new tuxedo. He was going to attend the Summer Sun Celebration, and wanted to look his best, as he wrote in the letter. This would get Rarity some much needed bits. The other one was the rent for this month. ”Thanks,” Rarity said with a tired voice. ”And there was one more thing…” Derpy said as she looked around the boutique. ”Yes darling?” Rarity said with a warm smile. ”Do you think you can repair this for me?” Derpy put her hoof to her stomach. There was a rather large rip in the seam. Considering Derpy’s many crashes, her clothes probably aged a hundred times faster than normal. ”Oh, of course,” Rarity laid her ears flat against her skull. It did feel humiliating to repair the clothes that might run her out of business. ”No, Rarity, they are not going to run you out of business. They will never get your boutique,” She thought to herself as she put the uniform over her desk. If nothing else, this might be a perfect opportunity to gain some valuable information. ”Just come by and pick them up in an hour or so…” Derpy nodded energetically and flew straight into the wall again on her way out. She left Rarity alone with the uniform and her thoughts. Rarity decided to concentrate of what she knew first, and figure out a solution to what she didn't know later. After starting on Fancypants’s tuxedo, she began to examine Derpy’s uniform. She nodded to herself, scowling. This was pretty much what she had expected. Straight, exact seams, more so than anything a pony could make. She also realized that the quality of each seam was pretty bad, but the sheer amount of thread holding the clothes together made them durable still. ”Quantity over quality, that seems to be what Flim and Flam is all about,” Rarity said to herself as she examined the uniform. ”With the cider it mattered, because they concentrated to much on quantity. Now they maintain just the quality needed to keep ponies happy, while still being able to churn out clothes at breakneck speed…” As Rarity thought about that, her hooves worked without her mind and sew up the rip in the cloths. When she was done, she decided to take a short walk. She had always had some of her best ideas when walking around in Ponyville. She stepped out in the blazing sun. She wandered around aimlessly for a while. It did not escape her notice that wearing clothes was almost as common as not these days. ”Flim and Flam are simply too cheap…” Rarity thought, as she had many a times before, ”My work takes so long… my prices must be higher than theirs. But what do I have that they do not?” Her thought stopped there, as usual. As much as she hated to admit it, as much as it scared her, she did not know the answer. Sure, she had the quality but, again, that was not what this was about. ”I need help…” Rarity finally admitted. ”But who can help me? Who else has knowledge with running a business?” Rarity quickly rejected most of her friends. Twilight was a princess, she could cross out the word ”expensive” from the dictionary. Fluttershy could more or less live off what she grew herself, and had little to no expenses. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash ware both hired, Rainbow by the weather team and Pinkie by the Cakes. They did not run their own businesses. Applejack, on the other hoof, did run a business, and she had a history with the brothers. Rarity had to ask her for help. She looked up to the large clock tower, and found it was almost time for Derpy to collect her uniform. Rarity picked up her pace and arrived at Carousel Boutique just as a gray streak mutilated the flowers outside it. Rarity sighed and picked up the dazed but ever so happy Pegasus. ”Your uniform is done,” Rarity said curtly, not in the mood to speak. Until she thought of something. ”Say, Ditzy, why did you all of a sudden become interested in cloths? I haven’t seen you wear anything before?” Ditzy looked happily at her uniform, than up to Rarity. ”I have never had the bits before, not with Dinky to care for. But they are cheap, and…” Derpy leaned close to Rarity and lowered her voice conspiratorially, ”…I really like to see their machine work. It just look so… machiny…” Derpy smiled even wider. ”I see. Well, have a nice day, darling!” Rarity said with feigned happiness. Derpy managed to dodge the wall on her way out. To bad the door was closed… Crash! Rarity sighed again. ***** Flim was trotting back to his and his brother’s shop along with some books in his saddlebags. He hummed his favorite song, ”Opportunity”. He felt better than he had in a long time. Their shop seemed to go well so far, and everypony loved their cloths. ”I really like it here,” Flim thought to himself. ”Of course, the view in Ponyville is the most amazing one in Equestria, at least during the market days…” Flim snickered. He proceeded to think about the improvements he could do at the machine as he entered the shop. ”Smaller safety marginals to reduce cloth waste, more patterns and sizes…” His brother stood behind the counter along with Roseluck, who was in the process of picking fabric. ”That one, I think,” She pointed to a summer green bolt of fabric. ”Of course,” Flam said with a smile, ”just let me take your measurements, and you will have your new dress in no time.” Ten minutes later, Roseluck left the store in a new dress. Flam levitated a portion of the bits over to a safe and beamed at his brother. ”Do you know what this is, brother of mine?” Flam said as he held a single bit in his hoof. ”This is the first bit in profit we make. The rent is paid, and the next shipment of cloth has been paid too. We are making money the honest way!” ”Wonderful brother! We should celebrate,” Flim said as he trotted up to his brother. They hugged each other quickly. ”You said it, brother!” Flam said. ”Perhaps we should buy new cloths? To symbolize our new lives, eh?” ”Excellent idea, and I think I am going to put my own little scheme in motion,” Flim said with a mischievous smile. ”Go get her, brother!” Flam said as he thumped his brother in the back. ”But first, let’s visit Rarity’s.” ”Perhaps, you two gentlecolts might wait a couple of minutes? After all, you don’t need more time than that to make new set of shirts.” Flim and Flam both turned to the door and saw the richest pony in Ponyville, Filthy Rich, along with the scourge of ponykind and champion of all that is evil (a.k.a Diamond Tiara) in the doorway. ”Mr. Filthy, what might bring you to our humble abode?” Flim said with a smile and a low dip of his head. ”I prefer Mr. Rich, and I wanted to resupply on shirts. How much for five of them?” The stallion said lightly. ”Two hundred and fifty normally,” Flam said. ”But my brother and I are celebrating something, so we will throw in one for free,” Flim continued. ”That is two hundred bits for five, or two hundred and fifty for six,” Flam clarified. ”That’s might generous of you gentlecolts, I will take six shirts,” Mr Rich said with an appreciative smile. ”Perhaps you could throw a little something together for my Diamond too?” ”Sure thing, Sir, what might little Diamond want?” Flim asked peppily. ”I am not little,” Diamond Tiara said with an annoyed look. ”And I want a pink scarf, not magenta or purple, pink.” ”A pink scarf is thirty, and six shirts will be two hundred and eighty bits,” Flam said from behind the counter. ”Please select your fabrics.” ”When are you going to start the machine?” Diamond Tiara said in a commanding tone. ”I want to see it work.” Almost an hour later and with two hundred and eighty bits on their pockets, the two brothers trotted over towards Carousel Boutique. ”Celestia smiles upon us brother,” Flim said confidently. ”Filthy will wear our shirts and speak of our generosity. I think the best is yet to come for our little store.” ”With you as my brother, what could go wrong!” Flam said with a great deal of swagger. They arrived at Carousel Boutique, but found it locked. ”Huh,” Flam said with a s surprised glance. ”Guess she must be out…?” ”Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Flim said theatrically. ”What salespony goes out in the middle of a day? Well, that gives me some time to begin my own little scheme…” Author's Note Just as before, I have edited this myself. Please point out whatever mistakes you find so that I can correct them.
Chapter three”So, Applejack, I need your help. Whatever shall I do?” Rarity said with a hollow voice. She knew Applejack would never hold it against her, but it still hurt her pride to beg for help like this. ”Hm, Ah’m not sure Ah can help ya, Rarity,” Applejack said with an apologetic tone. ”Ah mean… We apples do not sell single dresses like you, we sell in bulk, an’ most of our customers are not even ponies, but companies.” ”But you must have learned something about selling, right?” Rarity said with a distressed voice. She had paid the rent for this month, but would not have enough for next time if it continued like this. ”Please you…I need your help…” Rarity said. She looked at Applejack with pleading eyes. ”Why do ponies buy your apples?” ”Because they work further with them,” Applejack said truthfully. ”They make cider, jam, liquor, pastries and so on. Besides, the Apple family pretty much own every apple farm in Equestria, so there is no competition…” Rarity nearly broke down, she had never been so stressed before. But Applejack was right, apple business did not seem to have any similarities with dressmaking. ”What about Flim and Flam? You defeated them twice. How can I do that?” ”Well, this reminds a lot of their cider selling scheme,” Applejack said thoughtfully. ”We managed to show that their product was inferior to ours, an’ that was the end of it…” ”But their clothes are not inferior, that are just as good as you would expect with their prices,” Rarity said with a sniffling voice. ”In that case ya need ta figure out how they can keep so low prices,” Applejack said simply. Then her face twisted into a tortured grimace. She continued. ”But Rarity…If their product is not inferior… and their prices are lower… then… then ya’re in real trouble,” she left the rest unsaid, but Rarity understood. ”I will show you too,” she said with tears in her eyes. ”I will show you all!” Rarity screamed with a broken voice and stormed out of the house, deaf to Applejack’s protests. On the road up to the house she met one of the ponies she wanted to see the least. Flim was whistling and carried a couple of books in his saddlebags. ”Hello, Rarity!” He said happily. Rarity locked on his happy face and smacked him as hard as she could. Flim let out as startled and pained scream and fell on his back. Before he even understood what had happened, Rarity was gone. He looked down the road after her. Hoofbeats behind him caused him to look towards Sweet Apple Acres, and he saw a peach Earth Pony coming towards him fast. He felt his cheeks redden. This was not the position he wanted to be seen in. ”Flim?” Applejack said in a confused tone as she found the Unicorn. ”What the hay happened ta you?” ”Rarity happened,” Flim said dryly. ”I know it is not my place, but have you two been arguing? She looked mighty upset…” ”Not arguin’, but she seemed ta have gotten herself in financial trouble,” Applejack said as she helped Flim stand up. He brushed of his vest. ”Financial trouble?” Flim looked nervous. ”Not because of us, right?” He hoped against hope that it was not because of him and his brother. ”Yes, Flim,” Applejack said with a sigh. ”Ah…Ah really don’t think that y’all wanted this ta happen, but…” Flim swallowed, and asked the dreaded question. ”You… you want us to…to shut down our store, right?” Applejack looked back at Flim with wide eyes. ”Y’all would do that? Ya’ll do that, if I ask?” ”Flam is going to strangle me,” Flim thought. ”Yes,” he answered. ”Why?” Applejack asked, suspicious now. ”Oh, hay no, not yet!” Flim thought. He could feel his face redden at the thought. ”That is something I would rather keep to myself for now…” He said with roving eyes. ”Fair enough, Ah guess,” Applejack said with a shrug. ”Ah… Ah am not goin’ ta ask y’all ta shut down. Ah can’t do that to ya, not after y’all really have tried ta better yerself… it’s not mah place…” The two ponies stood in a strained silence for a couple of moments before Applejack spoke again. ”So, why did ya come here anyway?” ”I…I” Film stammered with a mixture of relief and stress in his voice. ”I still do not think my brother and I have repaid you for forgiving us yet… do you need any help with your economics? Like, can I help your farm in any way?” He levitated the books out from his saddlebags. ”Das Clopital,” was written on one of them. Applejack was perplexed. Did Flim and Flam, Flim and Flam, care that much for Sweet Apple Acres? Applejack could not help but to blush ever so slightly. She really liked what the brothers had become. They truly had changed for the better. And Flim’s awkwardness was kind of cute… ”Ah, don’t think Ah need no help, Ah’m afraid…” Applejack stopped mid sentence. This might be a golden opportunity to help Rarity and put the brothers to their final test. ”But there is some pony else who might need ya…” ”Hmm?” Flim said with a slightly disappointed but curious expression. ***** Rarity galloped home as fast as her hoofs would carry her. The tears blurred her sight, but she did not care. She dashed into her boutique and shut the door behind her. She fell on her trusty divan and cried in loud, choppy sobs. Applejack had broken all her resolve. She had felt it deep within herself for a while now, she would have to struggle to get through this. But she really had thought she would get through it, one way or another. Flim and Flam would leave, or that their machine would be destroyed somehow. Applejack, Applejack with her cursed honesty, had bluntly crushed her hopes and, what’s more, part of her identity. Rarity had always prided herself on her sewing skills, and they day she opened her boutique had been the happiest day in her life, baring the day Sweetie Belle was born. But Applejack had dashed that happiness. Her statement, her honest statement, was proof that a machine not only could do what she could, but better, faster and cheaper too. ”Rarity?” A worried, peeping voice said beside her. Rarity jerked up from the pillow she had cried in and looked beside her. She saw a blurry, white and pink mass in front of her. ”Rarity, what happened?” Sweetie Belle asked. ”N-nothing,” Rarity said with a thick voice. ”N-nothing at all…” Sweetie Belle looked into her sister’s red eyes and put her tiny legs around her neck. She said nothing else. Rarity gave her sister a backbreaking hug as she continued to cry her heart out. Rarity went on for what might have been minutes or hours. Eventually, slowly, she calmed down, and Sweetie Belle gently wriggled out of her embrace. ”Now will you tell me what happened?” She asked, still in an anxious tone. Rarity dried her tears and looked at Sweetie Belle. She felt a pang of guilt when she saw the worried look in her little sister’s eyes. ”I… I have… run into financial troubles,” Rarity said, ashamed. She could not even give her little sister the safety any filly should have while growing up… ”Financial?” Sweetie Belle gave a questioning look. Rarity felt her heart melt when she looked at the infinitely cute, asking eyes of the little Unicorn. ”I means I do not have much money left, dear,” Rarity said apologetically. ”Why?” Sweetie Belle asked in that annoyingly curious way that only a little sister could. ”F-Flim and Flam makes better clothes than I…” Rarity said with a resigned voice. She finally admitted. ”B-but… then what will happen?” Sweetie Belle’s voice rose in worry and fear. ”We… we will not have to leave…P-Ponyville… right?” Her voice cracked at the final word. ”No,” Rarity said with a warm voice as she petted her little sister. She continued the sentence in her mind. ”No, Sweetie Belle, we will not have to leave Ponyville. I will make sure of that, Celestia help me.” The two Unicorns hugged again, taking solace in each other’s company. The doorbell tingled. Rarity felt a rush of awkwardness as she realized how she must look. The door opened and Applejack stood in the doorway. Her gold green eyes swept over the room and stopped at the alabaster Unicorn. ”Rarity, Ah cannot help ye with economics, but there is somepony else who can, an’ Ah’ll make sure you accept his help, got it?” ”I really cannot afford to be picky right now,” Rarity said with a sullen voice. ”Good, then hoof over your business ledgers,” A voice From Rarity’s nightmares said from behind Applejack. She stepped aside and revealed Flam, an abacus and a couple of quills and ink in his magical grasp. ”Why are you here? Come to gloat?” Rarity said with fresh tears in her eyes. ”An’ that’s exactly why Ah’m here,” Applejack said with a serious expression. ”Sweetie Belle, do ya know where yer sister’s ledgers are?” Sweetie Belle nodded, and looked at her sister. Rarity looked at Flam, then at Sweetie Belle. She bent her head in a silent nod. She felt whatever pride she had left scatter in her heart. Sweetie Belle trotted up to an old vitrine with a couple of drawers near the floor. She opened them and revealed a few thick books. Flam levitated them up from the drawer and put them on a small table. He sat down and looked expectantly at Rarity. She looked back with red cried eyes. ”Rarity, get yer flank over there,” Applejack said with a small smile, earning her a glare from the Unicorn in question. After a moment Rarity smiled too. Bickering with Applejack was something she could always do… ”Give a pony an apple, and ye feed her for a day. Teach a pony to farm apples, and ye feed her for a lifetime,” Applejack said wisely. ”Time for ye to learn some salesponyship.” Rarity got up from her divan and sat down beside Flam who gave her a supportive smile. She smiled back. She was not out of business yet. She could do this. Flam had been still on his chair for hours, looking through Rarity’s business ledgers and scribbling down unintelligible notes on a paper. When he put down the quill, the evening had fallen. Applejack had left them an hour earlier, and Sweetie Belle, who had demanded to stay with her sister, had fallen asleep on the divan. She snored lightly and was curled up into a small marshmallow and cotton candy ball. Flam turned to Rarity. ”I… I must start with telling you how sorry I am. I can see here that your trouble is our fault,” He began. His voice was somber. ”Both my brother and I thought your store was specialized towards more extravagant cloths, and so we would not steal your customers…” ”Actually,” Flam continued with a hapless smile, ”I have been meaning to ask you how you could run such an establishment in this small town. Seems I got my answer…” ”I can’t,” Rarity said silently. ”Can I?” Flam was silent for a moment. ”Not like this, no. If this is going to work, then you need to focus a lot more on your orders. Ponyville is simply to small for such a specialized shop,” Flam said slowly. ”Right now, orders seem to cover about forty-five percent of your expenses, while repairing other ponies clothing covers about fifteen precent. This leaves forty percent that once was selling.” Rarity felt ill. ”F-forty precent?” She said, her voice shaking a little. ”I need to up my income from repairs and orders by… forty precent?” ”Yes,” Flam said bluntly. ”Good news is you have nice names here, Fancypants, Sapphire shores… If you got them to speak about you, then you could make enough. Furthermore, since a lot of ponies are wearing clothes now, repair income will probably rise.” ”So…I can do this?” Rarity asked, praying to Celestia for a positive answer. ”If you get the right ponies to talk about your clothes, and cut down on your expenses for a while, then yes,” Flam said. He allowed a smile to spread across his face as he said it. He saw Rarity’s eyes glitter in the moonlight, and suddenly realized how beautiful she was, ”T-thank you,” she said with gleaming eyes. ”Thank you ever so much.” ”My pleasure, Rarity,” He said truthfully. ”There are a couple of things I want to ask you though…” ”Go ahead,” Rarity said. Flam picked up a note. ”Fabrics” was written on top of it, or at least that’s what Rarity thought. ”You pay a lot for your fabrics, Rarity,” Flam said. Rarity was perplexed. She had never thought of that expense before. She had looked around and never found anything cheaper. ”No, I don’t?” she said in a questioning tone. ”My brother and I pay twice as much as you, and we get almost four times as much,” Flam said without formalities. ”We buy in bulk, so we pay more bits than you, but in the long run it saves us a fortune.” Rarity looked at the Unicorn. She had missed that all these years? ”I… I never knew…” She said sheepishly, bitterly. I she had known that earlier, then it could have saved her from this catastrophe, and now she did not have bough bits to buy large quantities. ”Well, now you do, and it is those kind of things that will make you a salespony,” Flam said with his serious voice. He yawned. ”Perhaps we can call it a night?” He proposed. ”Very well,” Rarity said as she realized how tired she was. ”Will you come again?” ”Every evening for as long as you need me,” Flam said with a small smile. ”My brother and I put you in this mess, and I will get you out of it, so help me.” As Flam stood in the doorway, he turned around to Rarity. ”By the way, my brother and I want a couple of new shirts, just like this one. Think you can do that?” Rarity giggeled, really happy for the first time in a while. ”Sure I can,” She said. ”I will take your measurements tomorrow.” Flam smiled at her and picked his straw hat from the rack. As he left Carousel Boutique the brisk night air hit him in the face. He took a deep, refreshing breath. A few minutes later he unlocked the door to Flim and Flam’s Fast Fabulous Fashionable Finery, and found his brother behind the counter, pretending to read a book on mechanics. ”So, brother, what do you think?” He asked in a voice that tried to be relaxed but Flam recognized as anxious. ”She can make it, if she is lucky and really works for it,” Flam said grimly. ”But… truth to be told, I would not place to high of a bet on it. Her only hope is the Canterlot aristocracy, and they are notoriously picky with their cloths…” Flim sighed. All the air seemed to disappear from the Unicorn. He looked at his brother with a hapless smile. ”Well, brother, seems this is the end of the line for my dream…” A fire ignited behind Flam’s eyes and his face contorted in anger. ”Oh, hay no, brother,” he said slowly as he trotted up to his twin. He slammed his hoof in the counter so hard it cracked. Flim looked with surprise and a little fear into the inferno that was his brother’s eyes. ”After all you have done through to make it to this point you are not going to throw in the towel, YOU HEAR ME?! You will go to Sweet Apple Acres TOMORROW, and you will tell Applejack everything, or with Celestia and the Dark King Sombra himself as my witnesses, I promise I will!” Flim nodded slowly, resigned. ”I will do it… tomorrow… I hope this works…” ”There is always opportunity in a community until the opposite is proved,” Flam said with a small smile. His anger had all but vanished. ”Heh, true that, brother. Thanks,” Flim said with an expression that was a mixture of hopelessness and laughter. ”Come on, brother, let’s sleep,” Flam said and beaconed the door to the room where the Splendidly Swift Snipping Cybernetic Sewing machine 700 stood. ***** The next day Flim and Flam spent trotting around Ponyville and talk to random ponies. In such a small community you did not only sell your product, but also yourself. Keeping a good appearance and personality was a must. Thus they went to Sugarcube corner and had a brief conversation with Pinkie Pie, (brief by Pinkie’s standards, it took them forty-five minutes to buy their fritters) and then proceeded to the Ponyville Spa to enjoy a lovely mud bath. Flim could almost relax, the only problem was his brother’s urging looks that only amplified as the day went on. Flim continued to smile reassuringly and delve into conversations with whoever happened to be nearby, thus effectively dodging ”verbal encouragement”, as his brother would put it. However, as evening began to fall, he could not run any longer. Flam had ”persuaded” his brother to accompany him to Carousel Boutique. Before he entered, he turned to Flim with a decisive look. ”You will go to Sweet Apple Acres now, and you will come here afterwards. If you don’t, I will visit Applejack myself,” He said calmly. Before Flim could voice a reply, his brother had entered the boutique, leaving Flim alone with his worries. Slowly he began to walk to Sweet Apple Acres. As he walked through the orchards, he became aware of just how beautiful it was. In the dying light of late summer, every apple tree seemed to be ablaze, caught in vivid orange and brownish color. The fruits hung red and ripe from the branches, making the orchard gleam with promises of sweetness. And the scent. The subtile fragrance of apples mixed with damp grass and mulch. It smelt earthly, rich in a way that Flim could not put in words. Or, actually, he could put it into words, one word was enough. ”Applejack…” He said slowly as if he tasted the word. ”Whenever I smell this, will I think of her then?” Flim snickered. ”Also, since when did I become such a philosopher?” ”Hey there!” Came the southern accent of Flim’s dreams from in among the apple trees to his left. As he turned, he saw Applejack coming towards him. Her coat shone like flaming gold in the sunlight, and her mane and tail like liquid fire, partly hidden under her bronze Stetson. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful sight Flim had seen in his life. ”Here goes…” He thought as he swallowed. ”So, how can Ah help ye, Flim?” Applejack asked. ”Ehm…” He begun tentatively, ”I have a couple of things to tell you… about why my brother and I came here, and… and why we became honest in the first place…” Applejack’s expression shifted. Her face became serious. ”Ahright, tell me,” She said. Her voice was somewhat harder. ”Well, going honest served a double purpose,” Flim began. He tried to think of the situation as when he described his mechanics to Flam. Slow and explanatory. ”First of all, it would be the only way to redeem myself in your eyes, Applejack. and two, I needed a steady income,” ”Well, after what y’all have done, Ah believe ye have redeemed yerself, at least,” Applejack said with a warm smile. ”But, why do y’all care so much about mah family an’ me?” ”Because… because I love you Applejack…” Flim said in a barely audible voice. ”TO FAST!!!” His mind yelled at him. ”What?” Applejack said, convinced that she misheard. ”I have been smitten by you ever since last time I was here. After I saw what you did when you exposed our tonic scheme, I realized what kind of a mare you were. You were not afraid to do what was right, no matter what. I respected that.” Flim said in a progressively faster voice, relieved to finally tell the mare of his dreams what he felt. ”That respect deepened over time, until I just couldn’t get you out of my mind. I wanted to do what was right as well, I had to do what was right, so I told my brother of my feelings.” Flim’s expression became dreamy. ”Dearest brother Flam… he always understood me, and he supported me… together we began to rebuild our lives…” ”Hang on there…” Applejack said, still shocked. ”Are ye sain’… are ye sain’ that everythin’… y’all goin' honest, repayin’ the ponies ye scammed…” Flim nodded. ”It was all for you, Applejack, because I wanted you to… to love me as I love you…” ”So,” Applejack said slowly. ”You an’ your brother… turned your lives upside down… for me?” ”That we did,” Flim said softly with a proud smile. ”And I could not be happier for it,” ”NOW!” Flim’s mind screamed at him. ”Applejack… will…will you be my special somepony?” He asked, not daring to look at her. Applejack just stared blankly without seeing. This was just unreal. Flim had done everything just for her? Apparently… As soon as she had though that, she felt a surge of warmness well up within her. Flim had given up everything, his entire life, for her. He had dared to change, really change, for her. ”That is a pony Ah can love…” Applejack thought as she felt tears fill her eyes. Tears of bottomless joy. She was moved. She was in love. Applejack put a hoof under his chin and made him to look into her eyes. Grass green and gold green locked with each other. ”Yes,” Applejack said with gleaming eyes, her voice thick with emotion ”Yes, Ah will.” The two ponies, salespony and farmer, bent forward, put their hooves at each other’s backs, and, just as the sun fell beneath the horizon, their lips met. Inside Sugarcube Corner, a pink Earth Pony was happily eating the frosting of some cupcakes, when she felt something. Her heart began to beat at triple speed, and her mane convoluted and shaped into something. Her eyes grew wide as she realized what happened. Her favorite combo. Pinkie abandoned the cupcakes and ran up to her room as fast as her hooves would carry her. Then, when she entered, she looked into the mirror. She smiled when she saw her mane. It was shaped like a perfect, pink, heart. Author's Note No clue why, but I really like Applejack and Flim . Probably because I like Flim and Flam... Whatever, if you are not happy with this ship, then... you loss?
Chapter fourPrince Blueblood was slowly moseying his way through the upper reaches of Canterlot, among the gardens more or less prohibited for ”the lowly peasants”, as he would put it. He walked through the greenery and looked at the various flowers, silently noting their flaws and imperfections. ”Incredible,” he thought bitterly. ”Not even in Canterlot can one find a flower perfect and pristine enough to be worthy of my royal eyes…” Blueblood vaporized a couple of roses as he passed them, confident that the gardener would be blamed anyway. He trotted into his castle again and went to his own quarters. He was bored. Maybe torturing the servants could cheer him up? ”Lowly lackey!” He called, and five seconds later a red unicorn appeared. That was six seconds too long of a wait in Blueblood’s opinion. ”Yes, my Prince?” The lowly lackey said, tiredness in her voice. She knew how the Prince was when he was angry. ”Are there any letters of importance today?” Blueblood said as he glared at the lowly lackey. ”Only a letter from Fancypants inviting you to his garden party this evening…” the lowly lackey answered quickly. She fidgeted under his gaze. Blueblood felt his cheeks heat up ever so slightly. He was the Prince of Canterlot, last in line of the ancient Unicorn kings. Fancypants was required, by etiquette, to invite him to all of his parties. But it was always Fancypants who was the popular one of those parties, and Blueblood hated that. Fancypants was nothing compared to his own grandeur. How could he, the heir to Princess Platinum herself, be less popular than anypony? Blueblood had proposed that Celestia should outlaw being more popular than him, but, for whatever reason, nothing had happened yet… Blueblood sighed. Right now he was so bored he actually would attend Fancypant’s party, if only to ”accidentally” drop glasses. ”Very well. In my limitless generosity, I have decided to grace Fancypant’s humble… ” Buleblood tried to find a demeaning word, but failed. ”…party this evening. That should brighten his day.” The lowly lackey did not know Fancypants, but she felt sorry for him. She would probably have felt sorry for Chrysalis, too if it was her party, but still… A few hours later, the Prince of Canterlot found himself dropping a crystal glass probably worth more than Sweet Apple Acres. He decided to ”go and get a new one”, which meant sneaking into Fancypant’s private room and see if he could find something embarrassing to sell to the paparazzi. As the prince looked through the few letters his host had received, his eyes locked on something. He felt rage beginning to boil in his heart. Too well did he recognize the cutie mark stamped onto the envelope. Three light blue gemstones. All too clear did the prince remember the beautiful alabaster mare from the Grand Galloping Gala a few years back. He remembered the humiliation too. He did not recall her name, of course, so he had never been able to get back at her, but now… ”Rarity…” Blueblood said as he read the letter. His lips curled upwards in a smirk that would have made Sombra proud. ”Financial trouble, eh?” He said sweetly, venomously. ”Would be a shame if somepony…” He picked up the envelope in his magic and vaporized it. ”Oops, my bad,” he said to himself. He suddenly felt in a much better mood. That night Prince Blueblood had a most wonderful dream. He dreamt that Rarity the Unicorn would come hungry and dirty to his home and beg of forgiveness, for him to give her something to eat, something to wear, anything. At first, Blueblood would act like he should, and then, just when she thought she was saved, he would slam the door right in her face, and listen to her crying and begging outside. The prince slept with a smile on his lips all the night. ***** Rarity looked at the image in the mirror. Alabaster coat with a silky texture, impossibly soft and long mane, colored in royal purple. Sapphire blue irises surrounding two uncharted, infinitely deep pools. Her horn was not slender nor stocky, it was elegant. A beautiful, elegant spiral, wonderfully framed by her eyes and mane. The icing of the cake was her cutie mark, the three ice blue gemstones that stood out enough to draw attention, but not enough to make ponies look away from her face for very long. Rarity sure did not look like a criminal. ”I have to, it’s only temporary, I have to…” She mumbled silently to herself as she stood in front of the mirror. She looked over her outfit. It was a simple, black thing that would help her meld with the darkness, as well as hide her, in Ponyville, very rare coat color. In the saddlebags she also had a crowbar. ”Why, Fancypants?” Rarity wondered for the thousand time. ”When I really need you, why wouldn’t you answer?” She was out of time. Even if she would get an order tomorrow, it would take her too long to receive payment for it. ”Desperate times calls for desperate measures Rarity,” She told her mirror image. ”You promised Sweetie Belle, and it is only temporary.” The mirror image still had a deeply ashamed look on its face. Rarity had a plan. She was ashamed of it, but it was likely her only chance as she saw it. She would have a sale on some of her more fancy clothing. Since the Summer Sun Celebration only was a week away, there was a lot of potential customers. Problem was that Flim and Flam would steal most of them, even if she had a sale. They had to be removed from the equation. She had to sabotage their machine. Rarity looked out of the window, and saw that the clock approached three A.M. ”Time to get underway…” She told herself and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She got into her black outfit and went into her sister’s room. She had to remember why she did this. She looked at the small marshmallow and cotton candy filly that laid curled up in her bed, soundly asleep. Somehow, the sight only made Rarity feel more ashamed. With great effort, she forced herself to step out of the door, put out the light in the house and sneak out in the darkness. There was nopony out, but she still felt jumpy. Every shadow seemed to turn into the accusing faces of her friends, or those of Flim and Flam, or a policepony coming to arrest her. She swallowed and started walking a little faster. Before long, she galloped through the streets in a panicked way. She hyperventilated and looked franticly left and right at the shadows that glared at her. Suddenly she skidded to a halt, and the tormenting shadows disappears. She had arrived at her destination. Flim and Flam’s Fast Fabulous Fashionable Finery. She slowly went up to the door, and picked out a bent barrette. She prayed to Celestia that picking locks worked the same in reality as it did in her novels. She bent to the task and found it did seem to work the same way. Most ponies would have trouble picking locks for the first time, but Rarity was used to delicate, exacting work after all those years as a seamstress. She was so caught up in her work that she did not see the gray Pegasus with veering eyes that watched her from the post office, a half eaten muffin in her hooves. The door clicked open, and Rarity entered. She took a few seconds to let her eyes adjust to the dim interior of the shop. She silently went to the door in the back, and found it open. She entered and found her quarry, The Splendidly-whatever-it-was-called-700. She took a breath to calm her nerves, and went up to the machine. ”Alright, where does it seem vulnerable?” She thought to herself. She felt a lot less nervous now when she was actually doing something, rather than just thinking. She slowly trotted around the machine, but did not find any weak spots. Cogs and gears made up most of the contraption, but they looked clunky and sturdy, and she did not have time nor skill to dismantle the whole thing. ”Maybe the wires…?” She thought slowly. The wires were located on top of the machine, so she would have to climb up to them as magic was to loud. Furthermore, the wires were protected by glass. Not the most subtile thing to break. Rarity decided to go with the wires, as she did not want to stay and think for long. She leaped as silently as she could onto one of the cogwheels, and slowly made her way to the top of the machine. She brought out a crowbar from her saddlebags and swung it against the glassed wire. The crash seemed to split the silence like a thunderclap. Rarity’s eyes grew larger in panic as she heard how loud it was. She laid herself flat against the machine, and prayed to Celestia that nopony had heard. She waited for minutes, but nopony came. She then remembered breathing again, and proceeded to break the next glassed wire. This time, she held her left hood behind it to muffle the sound. She had to bite her lip to prevent a moan of pain to escape her as slivers of glass borrowed into her tender hoof. She managed to destroy two more wires, even if a small whimper escaped her when she slammed the glass into her left hoof for the fourth time. She still had one wire left, but she knew she could not use her left hoof to nether swing the crowbar or muffle the sound. She silently crept closer to the wire, placed her right hoof behind the wire and levitated the crowbar up with her magic. She felt like an invisible palm had gripped her horn and dragged the magic out of her. With a confused and startled sound she saw her magic drain from her horn. It formed a radiant blue beam that arched through the air on its own accord until it struck a small metal stick in front of her. She followed the small spark that traveled down into the machine’s interior. She watched it fork out and enter a series of wires. Rarity had just enough time to be afraid. BRRRRZZZZZZAP! Author's Note I do feel bad for putting Rarity through that, but don't blame me, it was all Blueblood's fault (again). Anyway, a little shorter chapter this time, because I wanted to make a bit of a cliffhanger. Because I could .
Chapter fiveRarity felt as if her brain had been replaced with a pile of nails, knives and saw blades. She groggily woke up by the sun shining down on her through a barred window. Wait, barred? Since when did she put bars in front of her windows? She had thought about doing it to Sweetie Belle’s, but… Suddenly, everything came rushing back to her. Her plan, the sabotage, the wires, the spark… the barred windows. Her eyes widened in realization and fear. She had been captured and placed in custody. She turned around towards the door with a great deal of pain and tried to get up from her bunk. She placed her left front hoof on the floor, but immediately fell as a red hot pain shot from it. She looked down and found it wrapped up in bandages. She laid in a heap at the floor in the arrest and began to hyperventilate. ”This is the end of the line,” She thought with wide eyes. ”I will never get the money now. My boutique is lost, my reputation in shambles, my friends will hate me…” She was returned to reality by the opening of the door. She looked up and saw the Mayor Mare look down on her. The mayor’s eyes seemed like razors and her glasses shone cold. Her face was a calm mask that hid most of, but not all, the disdain she felt. ”I knew Flim and Flam would lead to trouble, but I never expected this,” She said sternly. Rarity swallowed and tried to control her breathing. ”Rarity, Element of Generosity, turning criminal?” ”M-mayor…I-I’am sorry, I never wanted to-” Rarity began before she knew what she wanted to say. The mayor cut her of with a move of her hoof. ”I’am not interested in your excuses, Rarity. I am just informing you.” She said with an ice cold voice. ”Flim and Flam will come by, as soon as they have inspected the damages to their machine, to tell you of the charges. I should warn you that the evidence is rather clear…” ”W-what?” Rarity said with a small voice. She had not thought of the fact that she was caught red hoofed tying to sabotage Flim and Flam. Of course there would be a punishment. ”W-what will happen to me?” She did not want to know the answer. ”Depends on the charges,” The mayor explained in the same ice cold voice. ”Probably a fine or some time in jail.” Rarity felt as if a trapdoor opened beneath her. Jail. She, Rarity, would go to jail? She started to sob quietly on the floor. She had never thought this could ever happen to her. Jail was for bad ponies, and Rarity was not a bad pony. Right? Sure, she had crossed the line, but she never had a choice. That did not make her a bad pony, did it? What would happen to Sweetie Belle? What would she think when she found out? Would her friends come and visit her? Or would they just deny that they ever knew a criminal like her? What would happen to her boutique? Would Celestia banish her? Perhaps Flim and Flam charged her with attempted murder? Perhaps she would be encased in stone like Discord had been, or trapped beneath a glacier like Sombra? Rarity continued to picture nightmare scenarios for an undefined amount of time. She felt pretty sure she would be imprisoned in Tartarus together with Tirek when she heard the door open again. She looked up apathetically, and saw her five friends coming through the door. None of them looked angry, they just looked confused and sad. Somehow, that only made Rarity feel worse than if they had yelled at her. ”Rarity?” Twilight asked carefully, ”How… how do you feel?” Rarity looked down as the tears began to fell again. She took one quivering breath before answering. ”W-what could I say? I feel awful,” She said with a thick voice that steadily rose to a wail. ”I will never regain t-trust in Ponyville again, I-I will be p-put in j-jail, and m-my sister will be out of a h-home… my life is in tatters!” ”Shh, calm down, Rarity.” Twilight silently said to her friend as she draped a wing around her. ”Flim and Flam have kept… this… a secret, so your reputation is unhurt.” ”Yea, and we will look after Sweetie Belle for you,” Pinkie Pie said with a small smile. ”Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” ”Thanks…” Rarity said sullenly as she looked at he floor. ”Thanks for… caring about some pony like me…” ”Ye’r our friend Rarity, an’ nothin’ will change that,” Applejack said softly. ”Nothin' will ever change that.” Rarity sat on the floor and cried for a little while, lost in thought. When she looked up, her voice had stabilized somewhat. ”W-where are… they? Shouldn’t they be here?” Twilight got something worried in her eyes for the fraction of a second. ”They are here… they sent us to collect you…” Rarity gathered what little courage she had before she spoke. ”W-well then, let’s… let’s get this over with…” She tried to get up, only to cry out when she put her weight on her injured hoof. ”Let me help,” Fluttershy said softly as she put Rarity’s hoof over her shoulder. Together the six ponies marched out of the cell, and into a small meeting room. Across a table sat Flam, along with Mayor Mare and, for whatever reason, Derpy Hooves. Flim paced nervously behind them. They all looked up when the friends entered the room. Rarity was surprised by the looks she got. Flim looked so nervous he had trouble breathing. The Mayor tried to give Rarity a disappointed glance, but seeing her with her friends made it come out a sad grimace. Derpy looked confused and sad, and Flam’s face was an unreadable mask, set in stone. He eyed Rarity with a completely neutral look. ”Well, everypony, let’s get underway,” Mayor Mare said with a mature tone. ”I’m afraid I must ask you to leave,” She nodded towards Rarity’s friends. They helped Rarity sit down on the chair across Flam, and began to slowly leave. Twilight stayed with Rarity the longest, a hoof on her shoulder. ”Please, Mayor,” She said with a pleading voice. ”Let me stay. I wont say a word, just please let me stay…” ”Afraid not, Princess Sparkle, ” Mayor mare said curtly. ”Princess or not, you are still bound by Equestrian law.” Twilight made sure not to show how nervous she was to Rarity, flashed a reassuring smile and slowly left the room. As the door closed, Rarity felt like she would retch. She looked at Flam, trying to deduce anything from his face. She failed. ”So, Mr. Flim and Flam,” Mayor mare began with an official voice. ”You are requested to share the charges against miss Rarity and present a testimony to begin prosecution.” ”Esteemed Mayor,” Flim said with a nervous, but hard, voice. ”I must emphasize that I must not be here.” The mayor heightened an eyebrow and beaconed to Flim to continue. ”I signed over my part of Flim and Flam’s Fast Fabulous Fashionable Finery to my brother,” Flim said with a more secure voice. ”He is the only one who was wronged in this affair. I request to leave.” The mayor looked surprised, but recovered quickly. ”Very well, Mr. Flim. You may leave.” Flim did not have to be told twice. He bolted for the door with a speed that would have yielded an invitation to the Wonderbolts, had they been there to see it. When he left the room, he faced ten eyes with varying degrees of suspicion. ”Are… are y’all done?” Applejack asked in a nervous voice. Flim shook his head. ”I… This is not my place,” he declared while looking at Applejack with apologetic eyes. ”I never cared for the store, really. I just wanted to get a chance to make things up to you, Applejack. Rarity could have burnt it for all I care.” ”What are you talking about, you creep?” Rainbow Dash said as she glared at the Unicorn. ”And why are you staring at Applejack for.” ”He is mah special somepony, ye big dope,” Applejack said unceremoniously. The look on Rainbow Dash’s face was priceless. ”Maybe ye shouldn't spend two weeks at flight camp without writing…” ”Hey, I tried to write-” Rainbow Dash began before she was cut of by Applejack. ”And yer brother? Did… did he care?” Applejack asked carefully. ”Maybe,” Flim admitted. ”But I feel that he was wronged more by Rarity’s actions than I was, so he should decide her fate alone.” ”An’ why is that?” Applejack asked, now more nervous. She had thought that Flim might be merciful on Rarity, for the sake of them being together. ”My brother helped Rarity in any way he could. Every evening he went to her, even though she was his competitor. He tried to help, and this is how she repaid him,” Flim’s voice had changed into something that Applejack had never heard before; anger. ”I may not know much about friendship yet, but I know that is not how you repay somepony who tries to help you.” The ponies stood silent, for they knew Flim was right in a way. They waited nervously. ***** Left in the room, Rarity saw Flim disappearing, leaving her with Mayor Mare, Flam and Derpy. ”So, Rarity,” Flam said neutrally. ”I must say I was surprised when I woke up and saw my brother’s machine ruined…” Rarity fidgeted under his neutral gaze. Somehow, his complete lack of emotion frightened Rarity more than him screaming at her. It was as if she listened to a speaking rock, it was impossible to make out any intentions, and there was no emotions to speak to. ”I really did not quite believe Mayor Mare when she said it was you who had broke into our humble store,” Flam continued with the same frightening neutrality. He placed two papers in front of him, both upside down. ”I just have one little question before I present my charges,” He said calmly. Rarity looked up through tear-filled eyes. His face still was an unreadable mask. ”Is there anything you want to say to me?” The words stuck in Rarity’s throat. They were so many they could not all be voiced. ”YES!” She screamed, far louder than she had imagined. ”YES, I’M SORRY, I NEVER WANTED TO, BUT I HAD TO, I PROMISED SWEETIE BELLE! I AM SORRY I DESTROYED YOUR MACHINE AFTER ALL YOU DID FOR ME! I AM SORRY, PLAEEEEZE, I AM SORRY-Y-Y!” Any further words were lost in the torrent of tears and hiccups that followed, since Rarity pretty much broke down. Mayor Mare and Derpy looked at her, confused as to what they should do. Flam kept his face neutral. Flam took his hoof from one of the papers and slid it upside down towards Rarity. ”These are the charges, and the penalty I will press for. Mayor mare, Ditzy, I want a word with you alone.” With that, Flam rose from the chair and went out the door. He ignored the gathered friends and beaconed his brother to follow. Flim, Flam Ditzy and Mayor Mare left the building, but nopony cared. They all barraged into the meeting room. Rarity was laying in a shaking wreck of a Unicorn, crying uncontrollably into the wooden table. She looked up at her friends when they entered. Her expression was enough to make Tirek feel sorry. Her eyes were red and the carefully applied makeup was smeared all over her face. The tears made white lines appear under her eyes as they washed away the mascara. Combine this with the weird hair she had gotten due to the electric shock, and the bandaged hoof, and the result was pitiful. The friends hurried forward to comfort her in any way they could. ”Rarity, what happened?” Twilight asked. ”Ehm… what did he want?” Fluttershy asked silently. ”I will kick his flank from here to Appleloosa!” Rainbow Dash declared. She was quickly restrained by Pinkie Pie and Applejack. ”Rarity, please tell us,” Twilight said softly to her sobbing friend. Rarity moved a shaking hoof towards the still turned paper. Twilight turned it. Five ponies looked dumbfounded at the charges. The paper was blank. ”Rarity…” Twilight said happily. ”You are free.” ***** ”Mayor Mare, Ditzy,” Flam said neutrally. ”I want you to forget that this ever happened. There will be no persecution, and Rarity will never hear a word about this again. And Ditzy, perhaps you could stop with those midnight muffins?” The Mayor looked surprised, but a smile shone on her lips nonetheless. ”Done, Mr. Flam. I have already forgotten.” ”Me too,” Derpy said with hanging head. ”But can’t I have my midnight muffin in the bathroom, at least? No windows…” Flam allowed a smile to break his neutral face. ”Alright, midnight muffin will be moved to the bathroom… that was a sentence I never thought I would say.” Flim and Flam started walking away from Town Hall together. They walked in silence for a while, before Flam broke it. ”So, brother, how long will you need to repair the machine?” ”I’m afraid It won’t be ready before the summer sun celebration,” Flim answered with an apologetic tone and happy smile. ”Those wires are not the easiest thing to fix… But once I do, what will happen to her then?” Flam chuckled. ”I will make sure her store survives, or my name isn’t Flam. Actually… I may or may not have taken a liking to that mare… in more than one way….” Flim whistled. ”Well, brother, I really think there is opportunity for you in that community…” Flam smiled at his brother’s encouragement, and threw the other paper he had placed in front of Rarity in a trashcan. The words ”Prosecution”, ”property damage" and ”breaking and entering” could be seen on it. The End…? Author's Note So... that was my first story. Please tell me what you think. Also, I will not promise a sequel, but it is fully possible... Thank you for your time. //Slivermyr
